Separate Beds
by Cher Sue
Summary: NOW COMPLETED - A heartbreaking tale of love, loss and everything in between. Damon & Elena shared an intense connection from the moment they met, and she ended up pregnant after just one passionate night together. Damon, now engaged to be married to Kat has to make a choice; to please his father or to follow his heart. HUMOR/ANGST/ROMANCE/DRAMA/MYSTERY. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary: AH / AU**

**Damon Salvatore is from a rich and successful family and heir to the throne of a multi-million dollar corporation in New York; Elena is a broke college student applying for a scholarship in Journalism. After a chance encounter at a bar, the two strangers ended up having drunk and passionate sex that changed their lives forever.**

**Elena, after discovering that she was pregnant and kicked out of her own home, turns to the devastatingly handsome Damon and turns his world upside down when they were forced to marry to salvage his high-profile family's reputation. The terms of the marriage are: They divorce after one year, the baby will remain in Damon's custody, and Elena will eventually get a huge cash settlement to secure her own future.**

**This story is a journey of their marriage where they agreed to keep their relationship strictly platonic, but Damon had other plans. What they didn't count on was falling in love with each other along the way, despite them fighting their growing feelings and obstacles surrounding them at every corner.**

**Basically, the inspiration for this story came when I read a synopsis on the back cover of a book called "Separate Beds" by Lavryle Spencer (hope I got the name right). I didn't read the book, so I didn't know the contents, and so I started writing this story roughly based on the general idea of the book, at least the start of it anyway.**

**So, yes, I didn't mean to steal any similar plots from the book, because except for a couple of details, my story is not copied from that book in any way. I already have a plot in my mind, and rest assured that it will be very different from the book of the same name. The plot, the dialogues are all mine and since we're being totally honest here, the characters are loosely based on the Vampire Diaries series, too. But then I'm sure you already knew that! I don't own the characters, blah blah blah.**

**Hope you'll give it a chance as most people who reviewed have enjoyed it. **

**Lots of Angst, Romance, Humor, Drama, etc.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: At First Sight<strong>

_**Elena's POV**_

As soon as I heard the words, my whole world crashed around me. Everything that I held dear in my life, everything that I ever knew...was a lie. Why would they do this to me? What did I do to deserve this? Why _him_, the person that I hated most out of everyone in the world?

Tears spilled out of my eyes as I stared in shock into my aunt's troubled ones.

"I'm so sorry, Elena. We didn't want you to find out this way," Jenna's lower lips quivered in a struggle to control her emotions, her eyes filling with sympathy for me.

"_We_? Does Jeremy know?" I demanded to know, feeling my anger rising to a boil, not caring who witnessed it in the room full of strangers.

Jenna averted her eyes from mine and hesitated before finally giving me the truth. "Yes, he knows, but your mother didn't want us to tell you."

I almost scoffed at that. "Oh, so she'd rather I hear it from a bunch of lawyers in lousy suits instead?" I bit out, glaring at the affronted people who automatically looked down at their attires at my insult. "Or did they hope that I wouldn't have to find out at all?"

"No!" Jenna denied, her eyes meeting mine as she begged me to understand. "I mean, I'm sure your parents would have told you the truth eventually," she said, her voice uncertain.

"Right, because they didn't find a right moment in all of my eighteen years living with them!" I rolled my eyes at my aunt in exasperation.

I decided then that I had enough with the meeting. "I have to get out of here, I just can't do this right now," I muttered before grabbing my purse from the chair beside me and stormed out of the office, leaving four people behind who gaped at my sudden departure.

I ran as fast as my legs in heels could carry me, stumbling a little as I pushed the double doors open until I escaped the suffocating building. I walked around blindly for the next hour, not caring where I was headed to. As usual, the traffic was bustling with queuing cars and impatient honks; just your typical Friday end-of-workday evening. My feet were aching and I cursed at the sight of my four-inched heels that I opted to wear with my formal clothes for the lawyer's meeting today. It would be a total nightmare getting a cab home at this hour, and frankly, I wasn't ready to see any of my family members yet. At times like these, I really missed my best friend Bonnie who was staying with her father in North Carolina.

_I need a drink_, I thought to myself as I ducked into a boutique hotel and made my way into their restroom, not meeting anyone's eyes as I walked past the front desk. I needed to make myself look more presentable or at least old enough to be served alcohol in a bar without raising any alarm.

I sighed deeply as I caught my reflection in the mirror. In two short weeks, my life had crumbled into pieces starting from the time I found out that my parents had died in a car accident. I studied the image in the mirror with critical eyes; my long brunette hair caught at the nape with a scrunchy and my heart-shaped face looked pretty much the same except for the hollowed cheeks from a fortnight of not eating proper meals. My wide brown eyes no longer held the spark of life that I used to have. In other words, the girl who was staring right back at me looked like an empty shell of the former cheerleader, a popular girl who was crowned Prom Queen just a few months ago before I started college.

I took a deep breath and shook out my hair from the tight pony-tail and let it cascade down in waves around my shoulders and back. I ran a comb hurriedly through the loose curls until they tamed somewhat and then I twisted them up in a loose chignon and secured it with a large pin that I carried around in my purse, pulling a few loose strands around my ears to soften the effect. Then, I reapplied my makeup, brushing a darker shade of eye shadow and sweeping black eyeliner across my lids, finishing with a nude shade of lipstick.

I stepped back and surveyed my appearance in satisfaction; I should be able to pass for a twenty-one year old _now_, at least. I took off my coat and tugged the vee neckline of my grey dress lower, revealing a deeper cleavage as I adjusted my bra. The hemlines of the skirt fell just slightly above my knees, the high side slits made walking much easier in the tight dress.

Squaring my shoulders, I collected my belongings and made my way out of the hotel and out on the street, with no clue at all where to head next. I was almost limping with pain by the time I managed to find a low-key bar named Sigi's at a corner of the street and gratefully sank down onto the only empty bar stool in the place. I closed my eyes and moaned out loud as I slipped my heels off my stockinged feet, massaging my aching ankles. My brief moment of comfort was short lived though, my eyes flying open when I heard a low chuckle beside me and I could feel my entire body stiffening in shock when I met the most incredible pair of blue eyes I had ever seen.

He was beautiful.

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><p><em><strong>Damon's POV<strong>_

I gritted my jaw in a fury when I walked into the apartment I shared with my fiancée, Katherine Pierce, and caught her in bed with my arch-rival, Mason Lockwood. The Lockwoods and the Salvatores had been feuding since our grandfathers' younger days in school. My grandfather and his were once best friends, but it all turned sour when they both fell in love with the same girl who manipulated and used them to win her affections, resulting in a declaration of war between the families until now. Business-wise, they were also our biggest and deadliest competitor.

Hearing the bedroom door flung open, Katherine gasped and hastily pulled away from her lover who scrambled to cover himself with the bed sheet.

"Damon! You-you weren't supposed to be home until later," she said by way of explanation for being caught red-handed, pulling the sheet up to cover her bared breasts, the ones her 'lover' had his head buried in moments earlier.

"Oh, I'm sorry, how _inconsiderate_ of me!" I bit out furiously, amazed at the gall of this woman I was about to marry. "I should have called first and gave you two a heads-up before I walk into my own home. Maybe I should wait out in the hall and let you _finish_ fucking each other!" I said sarcastically, planting my feet down firmly to indicate that I was doing no such thing.

For the first time since I'd known her, Katherine actually managed to look flustered as she tried to grasp at straws to explain her predicament. "Damon, it-it's not what it looks like, I can explain!" she said lamely.

Excuse me, but I had to roll my eyes at that pathetic attempt. "Oh yeah? Because it looked like you were cheating on your fiancée in _his_ own home and _his_ own bed from where I'm standing! But sure, _please_ enlighten me as to what you both were doing _naked_ in each other's arms just a minute ago?" I asked, throwing a dirty look over at the smirking man still lounging on my bed until he finally got the hint.

"Yeah, Kat, I gotta go. I'll see yo- myself out," Mason hastily corrected himself when he caught Kat's annoyed expression, and quickly collected his clothes strewn across the floor and walked out of the room.

When the bedroom door closed behind him, I returned my attention to the lying, cheating whore still naked in my bed. "Mason came over to offer me a job in his company, and one thing led to another, and we ended up-" she started saying before I interrupted her with an incredulous look.

"He offered _you_ a job? _You_, a socialite who has never worked a day in her life, living out of her rich daddy's pocket, and someday soon, _mine_, were offered a job at one of the biggest corporation in New York? And what I just walked in on, was that part of the interview process? Because hey, if it is, I wouldn't mind personally handling interview sessions for clerks and assistants for my office," I said sarcastically, unable to believe the amount of crap spewing out of her mouth.

"Yes, Damon, I admit it! I got bored, and I slept with the _first_ person who gave me any attention, because you're so busy working all the time! I'm sick and tired of being at home like a fucking housewife, and just waiting for you to come home late at night to have dinner with me!" she shouted at me defensively, her own eyes now blazing with anger.

"If you get bored, find a hobby, not jump into bed with my enemy in my own home!" I countered furiously. At that point, I wasn't entirely certain if I was more angry that Katherine cheated on me or that it was with Mason. I suspected the latter, to be honest. "As for being a housewife, _that_ cannot be further than the truth. You don't cook, you don't clean, and you don't do anything besides spend money! When I work as hard as I do to give you the lifestyle that you're used to, the least you could do is appreciate it. At least I'm not running around cheating on you with 'the first person who gave me any attention'. Is this what I should expect from you when we get married? Because I sure as hell didn't sign up for _this_," I yelled, fully intending to call off our entire relationship right then and there.

Apparently, my ranting didn't bode well with her because the next thing I knew, she was getting out of bed without bothering to cover herself at all. I found it interesting however, that the sight of her nakedness that used to turn me into a lust-filled man in an instant didn't do the same this time around. All I felt when I looked at her now was disgust. Huh.

"Well, I didn't sign up for this either when I accepted your proposal! I didn't know that by being engaged to you, I'd be stuck at home being your living doll, ready to cater to your every whim whenever you decide to come home from work! And this was _not_ a normal occurrence, in case you were wondering. Mason came over today, and I was lonely and upset, so I gave in to his advances! I'm a woman and I have needs, too. Since you're too busy for me, I went and got myself a distraction! Fine, I cheated on you once with Mason, but you cheated on me _every_ single day with your work, you selfish bastard!" her chest heaved from anger as she stared accusingly at me.

Typical Katherine; she was really talented at turning the blame around at other people when she was clearly in the wrong. I almost felt guilty for leaving her alone so much, until I remembered what a manipulative bitch she was. _Almost_. "Yeah, _that's_ the same!, " I said, rolling my eyes at her with her flimsy excuse. "_Whatever_, Katherine, you convince yourself that I'm in the wrong when you tell your father that we're over," I said softly as I turned around and left the apartment, unable to stand the sight of her any longer. I made my way down to the lobby, intending to bury myself in my work at the office, but then I bumped into the Security Manager of my building.

"Hey, Anthony!" I greeted with a smile that did not reach my eyes.

"Mr. Salvatore, what a delightful surprise to see you back so early! I trust the meeting went well with Mr. Lockwood?" he asked in surprise as I stiffened in surprise.

Well, that was certainly unexpected. Obviously, Katherine's 'extra-curricular activities' weren't limited to just this one time, the little lying bitch! "Mr. Lockwood? You know him?"

"Of course! He and Ms. Pierce have meetings upstairs every week for the past one year, I think. I hear them talking about mergers and land acquisitions whenever they walk by my office to the elevators. He must be very good friends with you and Ms. Pierce, yes?" he said with a smile, oblivious of the huge bomb he just dropped on me.

"Oh, the _very_ best!" I retorted angrily as I abruptly stalked out to my car park, leaving the man staring after me with his jaw gaping open at my rudeness. Screw work, I needed a drink...and a place to crash for the night. I pulled out my phone and dialed Ric's number.

"Hey, wanna go get drunk now?" I asked when he answered the call.

"What? On a Friday evening? Don't you have to work late?" Ric asked, appropriately surprised because I had never left the office earlier than him on a Friday before.

"Nope, didn't feel like it tonight. Come on, Ric, take a break from work with me. I promised I won't tell my father," I said teasingly, knowing how scared he was at the mention of my father. In fact, I _hadn't_ met anyone who wasn't afraid of Giuseppe Salvatore, except for my mother, that was. "What do you say we go to that little bar at the corner from your place in ten minutes?"

A low chuckle came over the phone. "Damon Salvatore, are you asking me out on a date? Finally realized that you need some Ricky-loving, do ya? I'm flattered, but I don't know if I find you attractive enough," he teased.

"If I get you drunk enough, you would find even a lamp post good enough to flirt with! Anyway, you are _so_ not my type. I like them with breasts, and long legs and preferably no adam's apple on their throats, so thanks but _no_ thanks. Besides, you'd make one ugly-assed girl! So drinks, ten minutes?"

"Already on my way from the office," he said and true enough, I heard the roar of his engine over the phone next.

"I'll see you real soon, sweetheart!" I said gaily before I hung up the phone. Then I scrolled down my list of contacts and typed a text message to my ex-fiancee:

_**Get the hell out of my apartment by Sunday. I'll be at Ric's till then.**_

I pressed send and immediately felt a huge load lifted off my shoulders. Funny, I didn't realize that my ex-fiancee was so heavy! Then, I started my car and drove over to Sigi's, a small little bar at the corner from Ric's apartment, for when I got too drunk to drive later on, which I no doubt will.

Three Bourbons and a beer later, Ric strolled in and sat on one of the empty stools beside me.

"Woah, going a little fast, don't you think? The night is still young, so what's the hurry?" his eyes narrowed on the empty glasses lined up in a row in front of me, concern etched on his features. This was why I loved him, my best friend who could always sense when I was unhappy or just in the mood to drown myself in alcohol.

"I'm celebrating. Here, join me, why don't you?" I asked, signaling the bartender for a repeat of my previous order.

"Celebrating? What, we got the land?" he asked, his brows raised in question before grabbing a glass of Bourbon set down in front of him.

I shook my head in answer to his question. "No, we lost it to the Lockwoods, surprise, surprise! I'm actually celebrating my bachelorhood. Here's a toast, to my being single again, and let every woman in New York rejoice!" I announced gaily before tossing two glasses down the hatch in quick succession.

I could hear Ric groaning beside me. "I'm guessing you and Katherine had a fight again?" he said casually, as if this happened every other day, which coming to think about it, it kinda did.

"We had a fight, a break-up, a moving out thing, the works," I shrugged my shoulders and downed a drink again, feeling the burn deep in my belly. Good.

"Wow, moving out? _That_ serious? So what did she do now? Overspend on shoes again? Insulted mommy dearest? Burned your toasts? What?" Ric asked in genuine surprise, his gaze studying me in renewed interest.

"Worse. She slept with Mason Lockwood...in my bed. I'm thinking it has gone on for some time too, according to my Security Manager. So, I told her to move out by Sunday, break the news to her father that we're over and now I'm a free man getting drunk with my buddy. And I did _all_ that within half an hour! Aren't I efficient? So what did _you_ do in half an hour today, hmm?" I asked, starting to feel a little buzzed.

Ric's face screwed up as he considered my question. "I picked a booger outta my nose," he finally said after some time. "Hands down, you win! And Mason Lockwood? That's low, even for her! So, I'm guessing you need a place to crash until Sunday?" he guessed as he held out his house keys to me, no questions asked.

I officially love this man beside me. "Thanks, buddy, I appreciate it."

Ric nodded as acknowledgement to my gratitude. "Hey, you'll have the whole place to yourself this weekend as I'll be at Mer's. So, feel free to pick up some girls and get some warm-blooded loving after being in that frigid bitch's acidic cooter!" he comment with a look of disdain. I knew that he hated Katherine from the get-go, but I didn't know that he hated _that_ particular part of her, too!

"Aww, you are _such_ a best friend! Thanks for noticing my ex-fiancee's cooter. Hey, I know you didn't get along with her much-" I paused when Ric snorted loudly.

"Didn't get along _much_? I _hated_ her! I couldn't stand the sight of her! I've _always_ wanted to slap you on the head and ask you what you were doing with a bitch like that. She was all sorts of wrong for you, and I can finally do a little happy dance now that you're not marrying her anymore. Wait, you _are_ broken up for good, right? You're not gonna change your mind and go back to her, are ya?" his brows raised as he studied me closely, hoping that I wouldn't disappoint him.

"Eww, no! Besides, it was my father who loved her and wanted us to get married, because of her father's connections. I didn't really love her; it was more like we were sexually compatible more than anything. She's a little hellcat between the sheets," I paused, noticing Ric's blanch at that remark, "our sexual chemistry was off the charts, but out of bed... I really didn't want to even stand around her. She has the personality of a doorknob, and the intelligence of a welcome mat. That woman has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, other than social grace and beauty. Like I said, if she weren't her father's daughter, I wouldn't have bothered. Most of our businesses, especially the foreign investors, were her father's doing. We wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for his influence."

Ric nodded, before concluding, "So, your father pimped you out? Dude, that's disturbing, but I'm glad you dug your way outta that one. Now, we need to find you a distraction, someone to warm your bed so that Katherine won't worm her way back into it. Now, where can we find a gorgeous young lady who is unable to resist your charms and devilish good looks?" he murmured thoughtfully, as if it was such a difficult task. I smiled at his expression, just as someone sank down onto the bar stool next to me and sighed gratefully.

I turned to look just as the woman took off her heels and bent down to massage both of her ankles covered in black stockings as she let out a low moan.

I couldn't help myself but to chuckle at her relieved expression but found myself stunned when she tilted her head up and stared into my eyes with her wide doe-eyes.

She was exquisite.

* * *

><p>Ric's gaze slid back and forth to Damon and the mystery woman as their eyes locked on each other, momentarily unaware of their surroundings. He almost laughed out loud as he thought about what he said just before she appeared on the seat beside Damon.<p>

Gorgeous young lady who was unable to resist Damon's charm? Check!

Ten million dollars in a briefcase?... No such luck. Dammit!

"Hey man, maybe you should buy a drink for the lady as she certainly looks like she needs it," Ric said softly, gently breaking their intense gazing.

Damon shook his head to clear his mind as he processed what Ric said even as her face blushed furiously, ducking her head down in embarrassment. "Yes, of course. I apologize for staring. You just look...so familiar," Damon finished lamely while Ric sniggered beside him."So, what's your poison?" he asked the lady beside him.

"W-what? Poison?" she repeated in a voice so sweet and angelic, it should be illegal.

"Yes, your poison? As in what would you like to drink?" he clarified as he signalled the bartender over.

The woman seemed uncertain for a moment, as if she felt guilt for drinking this early. "Ummmm, that-that's fine, I don't really know what I want yet," she sounded confused, even to herself.

Damon shrugged off her uncertainty, intending to decide for her if she couldn't do it herself. "Alright, so a Cosmopolitan for the lovely lady with the tired feet, and two more Bourbon shots for the macho men sitting beside her," he said to the bartender who was busy ogling the brunette beside him. For some reason, Damon wanted to hit him...hard.

She looked up again and smiled hesitantly, grateful that she wasn't carded by the bartender who obviously thought she looked old enough to be of drinking age. Was it still illegal if she didn't order the drink herself, but merely drinking it? She could feign that she didn't know that a Cosmopolitan contained alcohol if the police were to ask.

Ric kept on grinning gleefully as Damon's eyes strayed repeatedly to her face, looking away quickly when _her_ eyes slid to his, and vice versa. Finally, unwilling to stay on to see Damon being awestruck any longer, Ric stood up and announced, "Alrighty, _this_ particular macho man needs to take off and go spend a romantic evening with his girlfriend. So, _ahem_, remember what we just talked about," he wriggled his brows conspiratorially at Damon who rolled his eyes, but silently thanked his friend for making himself scarce.

When the drinks appeared in front of them, Elena immediately reached out for hers and took a long swig, swallowing heroically before she choked and coughed loudly from the amount of alcohol. Damon grinned in amusement as he slapped her on the back gently while she recovered.

"Umm, thanks, just forgot that I probably shouldn't drink on an empty stomach," she explained, still coughing a little at the burning sensation that went from her throat to the pit of her stomach.

"Ah yes, that wouldn't be wise," Damon agreed before he added, "Hey, wanna hear a joke?"

"Sure," she replied in curiosity, turning her full attention to the man beside her. He was extremely well-dressed, probably in sales and marketing, or maybe even an actor or a model, judging by his dashing good looks. He had slightly wavy dark hair, and a slender physique, evidently quite well-built is his broad shoulders were any indication. But what drew her eyes were a pair of mesmerizing eyes in a shade of blue so unique that she wanted to stare into them for hours just so that she could find a name for them.

Oblivious to her inner monologue, Damon went on with his joke. "Two strangers walk into a bar. One of them hadn't eaten, the other one is starving. What do you think they should do next?" he asked, his unnamed blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he waited for her answer.

"Ummm, they should eat something?" she guessed, unable to find anything funny with that question. He must be one of those guys with a weird sense of humor. Too bad!

"I'd _love_ to eat with you, I thought you'd never ask!" he smirked confidently and stood up, extending his arm to her as he waited for her response. She let out a girlish giggle when she realized what he said, her faith in his humor renewed as she slipped her arm through his. Oh well, what was a few hours of distraction with a handsome charming man when her entire world was in utter chaos? In the grand scheme of things, the night could have gone a lot worse!

He waited patiently while she slipped her dainty feet back into her high heels and led the way to a table for two at a corner. She winced slightly in her uncomfortable shoes, hobbling the last few steps to the chair before she sank down gratefully on it as he pushed her chair inward and took a seat directly opposite her.

"You have to break those in slowly before you attempt to walk in them. Death by high heels is at an all-time high these days, right before heart attack and stroke," he quipped half seriously. He never quite understood why women seemed to be okay with tormenting themselves day in and day out with those uncomfortable heels, but seeing this woman's long legs on those heels almost made up for it.

"Great advice, I should have met you sooner so that you could have warned me. These should come with health hazards warning labels or something," she said and rolled her eyes. He couldn't resist smiling at her quip.

* * *

><p>Once they've ordered their meal and settled down comfortably with each other, they started talking about mundane and totally routine things like why women wore high heels when men didn't.<p>

"I think it's because men are already so tall, or at least taller than most women, so why add on to the height which makes kissing even more difficult? Besides, it'll be like we're walking on tip toes all the time and who wants to watch men prancing around like ballerinas?" he mused.

"No, you're wrong, I think men don't wear them because they can't balance themselves properly, so they'll probably end up twisting their ankles and falling to the ground anyway. Perhaps that was where the expression 'Men fall at our feet' comes from," she told him smugly.

As they slowly finished their dinner, their continued laughter increased in frequency and later, conversations quickly turned to more personal ones as their level of alcohol also increased.

"Oh my God, that's awful!" she exclaimed in horror when he told her of how he found out his ex cheated on him. "She sounds like a horrible person! And you were standing there calmly listening to her lame excuses while her lover was still naked on the bed? Man, I give you major props for having the patience not to just clobber him to death right there and then. I know I would have!" she said in disgust.

"Yeah, in hindsight, maybe I should have done that today, but mostly I was just glad that it's over-"

"_Today_?" Elena interrupted with shock written across her features. "You just found out today? You broke off your engagement today? Oh man, are we a pair of losers," she giggled hysterically as she drained the last of her drink. "We're like _totally_ meant to meet each other."

"Why? Did you just dump someone too?" he asked, grinning at her happy smile, loving how relaxed she looked. He signaled the waiter to top up their drinks.

The intoxicating young woman seated opposite him shook her head and laughed. "No, I wish! I just found out that I was adopted today! Can you imagine that? A grown-up like me, being told that my parents were not my _real_ parents! And do you know what the funniest thing was?" she paused dramatically as if waiting for the right moment to tell the punchline of a joke.

"What?"

Elena leaned forward in her seat, looking as if she was about to reveal a national secret. "Apparently, my _real_ father is actually my uncle whom I've always _hated_ since young, and I've never actually _met_ my real mother before! So, my brother is actually my _cousin_! And my aunt, who was my mother's sister, is actually my real father's sister-in-law! How confusing is that? We're like the most twisted version of an American family ever," she finished as she snorted in a very unladylike manner.

Damon chuckled with her, feeling totally at ease in her enchanting company when she could make even the saddest and serious matter he'd ever heard of to seem funny and dramatic.

"So what did your..err...ex-parents said once you found out?" he asked, enjoying himself immensely despite the sad nature of their conversation.

"Nothing! They didn't say _anything_, because they're dead," she announced drunkenly, her tone a complete opposite of one he'd expected to sound when talking about the death of a loved one. "They were killed in a car accident two weeks ago. Their lawyers told me about the adoption, can you believe that? I found out that I was adopted _and_ broke the same time that I was told that my _real_ father is now in charge of the finances. That means that I will never see my inheritance ever again. How's _that_ for a bad day? I bet that finding your fiancee in bed with your arch-rival doesn't look half as bad _now_, does it?" she asked as she gulped down the entire glass of Cosmo again, looking as if she'd been doing it for years.

Damon stopped to stare at her for a moment, his eyes drawn to her glistening lips and her half-lidded eyes. He had to admire her spirit, to be able to still laugh at her situation when others would have panicked or cried. "I concede defeat. You're absolutely right, your day _was_ the worst, for now and for all eternity. It should go into the wall of fame or shame, depending on how you look at it and whether you're a glass half empty or half full kinda person."

"Well, my glass is definitely empty _now_," she slurred as she overturned the glass and not even a single drop dripped down from it.

'Well, _that_ I can fix. Hey you nice man, please refill our glasses, pronto!" he ordered the waiter who looked worriedly at their flushed cheeks.

"Err, right away Mr. Salvatore," the waiter rushed back to the bar to replenish the drinks and brought it back to the table.

"Why, Mr. _Salvatore_, are you _trying_ to get me drunk? Because I think it's working. Although this is only like my...umm...seventh glass of girlish drink. I need a man's drink!" Elena declared suddenly, eyeing his shot of Bourbon as if it was beckoning to her. "Here, I'll drink yours and you'll drink mine, deal?" she asked, belatedly realizing that they never introduced themselves or told each other their names. Perhaps that would be best; no messy relationship stuff to deal with if the impromptu date didn't end well.

Damon shook his head and then instantly regretted it when he felt the alcohol level reaching his already fuzzy brain, "I'm not drinking a sissy drink like yours! I'm too much of a man to do that, and hey!" he scolded when she suddenly swooped in and took his glass of bourbon from under his nose, swallowing the liquid in one gulp.

He chuckled at her expression when she stuck her tongue out and shivered violently at the taste. "Oooh, that's nasty! How do you even stomach the stuff, anyway? It tastes like...floor detergent!" she complained, her face wrinkling with disgust.

"How would _you_ know what floor detergent tastes like? Have you ever tried it?" he asked in mock alarm.

"Hmm," she pretended to think for a moment, her lips pursed up in deep thought. "I don't _think_ so, I can't remember now, I'm _so_ buzzed. Hey, quick question; is the room spinning or am I twirling around in circles? Because if I am, then I'd look really silly."

Damon let out a loud laugh when he saw the way her eyes slid from left to right as if the room was indeed spinning around. "Yes, you kinda do, but fear not! I won't let you look silly alone; I will twirl _with_ you!" with that declaration, he stood up on unsteady feet and dropped some dollar notes on the table, pulling her out of the chair and then heading to the crowded dance floor without waiting for her to pull on her shoes.

"Hey, I left my legs at the table, how am I gonna twirl with my bare-shoes?" she exclaimed somewhat drunkenly.

"I guess you're just gonna have to stand on mine," he murmured in a low voice as he lifted her close to him and felt her small legs on his shoes, his hand wrapped tightly around her waist and taking most of her weight. Even though he was drunk, her sudden proximity jolted him enough to make him aware of his physical reactions to her. They were practically joined from chest to toe, with her head thrown back as she stared into his eyes with half-closed lids. Her arms were holding onto his broad shoulders for dear life, as he spinned her around quickly, making them both dizzy from the movement. She closed her eyes and moaned out as she rested her forehead against his to stop herself from fainting.

Just then, the song 'Fire' came on and their bodies started to sway in time with the slow and sexy beats as Des'ree and Babyface's voice came over the speakers. Her breath started getting heavier as she listened to the lyrics and felt his thundering heartbeats against her own pounding chest. Then, she let out a shocked gasp when she felt his soft lips on hers, just when the song completed the first verse with the phrase, "Cause when we kiss, ooh, FIRE."

And oh, was that song spot on. They felt electricity crackling around them as their lips joined together, her head lifted up slightly to press even closer to his. His right hand tightened around her waist, lifting her even higher, as his left hand curled around her neck to tilt her head to the side, deepening the kiss. His tongue swiped across her lips tentatively at first and then grew bolder when she arched her back to push her chest closer against his. She allowed him to part her lips and when she did, the kiss exploded like fireworks on the fourth of July, his tongue delving in to taste her fully, both of them moaning out loud at the contact. Luckily, the music was loud enough to hide their verbal release. Her own tongue darted against his, battling each other for the right to bring more pleasure to the other. His mouth opened wider against hers as he drew her tongue into his warm cavern, welcoming her soft and gentle thrusts.

As the song approached the bridge, he finally allowed their lips to part so that they could draw in deep breaths, but he was, by no means, done with her. He inhaled deeply near her right ear, her delicious perfume and honeyed scent making his head swim with thoughts of having her very essence wrapped around him. With a deep growl, he caught her earlobe between his teeth and nibbled gently, making her groan out at the exquisite torture again. Then he buried his lips at the sensitive spot just at the curve of her neck below her ear and kissed the skin softly, teasingly until he felt her shiver against him. He couldn't take it anymore; his arousal was bursting through his zipper at any moment, and then he whispered huskily into her ear, "I want you."

She lifted shaky hands to his face and pulled back slightly to look into his mesmerizing blue eyes as she hesitated and then said three little words that made him weak in the knees.

"Then take me."

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><p><strong>Hi, I'm back with my new story! I must say, I'm incredibly happy with the response I got for my first ever TVD-based fanfiction 'When Love and Hate Collides' with all the friendly reviews and encouraging words. So, like I announced there, I'm starting a new AHAU story about my favourite on-screen couple - Delena. For some reason, I couldn't get this story line out of my head while I was writing the other story, so I decided to just write it down and run with it. I hope you like this first long chapter (over 6,000 words!) to the story, mainly it being an introduction to their characters.**

**I already have an idea of how this story will go in my twisted little head, so I hope it's different than others.**

**Oh yes, before I forget:**

**Like it, love it, hate it, please review for the heck of it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the support through reviews, story alerts and adding this one to your list of favourites. I don't know what I would have done without you readers.**

**It's great to see some familiar names who had previously commented on my previous story. Tukct81, Angelfan984, beverlie4055, RRR222 and boothishot are just some of the people who have touched me with their support and frequent reviews. It's nice to 'see' you all again. As for the others I did not mention here, just know that I really appreciate you all, too.**

**Ready for some SMUT action? Here we go!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Jane Doe <strong>

Damon's heart pounded violently in his chest when he heard her soft words as he let himself drown in the depths of her eyes. Then, he leaned in towards her slowly and kissed her again, once, then followed by another one, reluctant to release her from his arms even if it was to walk her down the street and up to Ric's apartment.

But then, his other 'head' started to protest, screaming out for relief, and so he dragged his head up from hers and set her back down on the floor. Without another word, he clasped her hand in his and led her over to their table where he collected her belongings while she bent down to grab her forgotten shoes on the floor. The minute they stepped out of the doors into the dark and balmy night, they both breathed easier in the heavy air, cooling their flushed cheeks somewhat. Still holding on to her hand in a death grip, he started walking forward, but she stopped him.

"Wait! My shoes," she said and then they both turned their attention down to her bare feet.

"Can you walk without putting them on again? Do your feet still hurt?" he asked.

"Yeah, but hold on, I don't want to spoil my stockings. Here, can you hold these for me?" she asked and suddenly, he found himself holding her shoes while she turned away into an unlit corner of the sidewalk. He stared at her in disbelief when she lifted her tight skirt until it barely covered her buttocks, slipping both hands under the hem and tugged and pulled until she managed to peel the black stockings completely off her long legs. Then, she pulled her hemlines back down and turned to face him, right before his hard body unexpectedly slammed against hers to pin her flat on the external wall of the bar.

His animalistic growl reached her ears before he buried his lips against hers in a passionate kiss, robbing her of breath and forcing her to cling to him for support. He had dropped everything he was holding onto the floor, so that his hands could then take the opportunity to roam hungrily down her body and then making their way up her sides, caressing the curves of her hips, her small waist and finally, the curves of her breasts. He lifted his head when he heard her surprised gasp at the contact, their breaths mingling from the proximity of their mouths.

They were still staring deeply into each other's eyes when the first drop of rain landed on her upturned face, breaking the spell. Simultaneously, they both looked up at the suddenly darkening skies in surprise when a few more droplets fell around them. Then, the sky opened up and within seconds, they were both drenched from head to toe. Elena released a shriek of laughter as Damon quickly bent down to grab her scattered stuff from the sidewalk and clasped her hand to make a run for it through the sudden heavy downpour. She was running with her bare feet, so she slowed down to avoid slipping on the wet floor. When he realized that she was lagging behind, he turned back around and swept her up into his arms, shoes, purse and all.

He managed to run the remaining thirty feet into Ric's apartment lobby, their appearance surprising the security guards based at the ground floor of the building. Damon flashed them an apologetic grin for dripping water all over the expensive marble floor as he made his way into an empty elevator, a wet woman in his arms, and then finally setting her down on her feet to push the button for Ric's floor. His gaze snapped to her face when she let out a loud giggle, surprising him yet again when he expected her to be upset for being wet.

"That was _so_ much fun! Why did you carry me? I was perfectly happy to walk around in the rain! Can we do that again?" she exclaimed excitedly, looking like a little kid being allowed to go outside and play.

Damon stared at her beaming face, feeling oddly like being a little kid himself as he imagined them frolicking out in the pouring rain. "Really? You don't mind getting wet? I mean, your hair's all messed up, your make-up is smeared, your dress is ruined, we're literally dripping a pool of water on the floor right here, and you _want_ to go back out into the rain?" he grinned at her in amazement.

"All right, you spoil sport! I get it, I look like a fright. No need to point that out to me," she rolled her eyes in amusement as she reached up to unclip her hair and let the wet mess come tumbling down in waves around her shoulders.

"I think you look terrific," he whispered huskily, his eyes roaming around her wild hair and glowing face in silent admiration, even as the atmosphere in the small cabin started to heat up again before he gave in to his impulse and buried his nose in the crook of her slender neck. Once again, he flattened her back against the cold metal walls, causing her to shiver as her skin touched the freezing material. Her eyes drifted close, all amusement gone from her face the instant his lips brushed softly against her skin and the feeling of his warm breath on her neck. Her scent drove him crazy, probably mixed with the smell of rain and the faint leftover perfume she sprayed on earlier in the day.

Damon dragged his lips lazily up from her neck and was about to claim her lips again when the elevator bell dinged and came to a smooth stop before the doors slid open. Momentarily stunned, they both looked out into the empty hallway for a moment before he recovered and pulled her along behind him until he stopped in front of a timber door towards the end of the corridor. He searched his pockets for the set of keys given to him by Ric earlier at the bar and unlocked the door impatiently.

He didn't even bother to switch on the main lights; he just dropped everything he was holding in a heap as soon as the heavy door closed behind them and gathered her in his arms while swooping in to claim her lips again. He could taste her unique flavor, further enhanced by the taste of rain still lingering around her lips. He walked her backwards into the door, pinning her against the hard surface with his body as he buried his fingers in her wet and tousled hair, feeling the silky texture between his fingers as he tilted her head to the side while his tongue probed deeper into her.

Desperate to feel his bare skin, she ran her hands over his shoulders, trying to push his wet coat off him but the soggy material refused to budge as it caught around his wrists, effectively pinning his arms behind him as he grunted in frustration, struggling in a losing battle with a piece of clothing. Biting back a smile, Elena used his momentary distraction to pull back a little, ignoring his groan of disappointment at the loss of her lips to study his toned chest, his white shirt sticking wetly to his visible muscles and highlighting his two pointed peaks on his pecs in the dimmed light of the room.

Feeling bold all of a sudden, she gazed up into his half-closed eyes filled with such desire for her, deftly unbuttoning his shirt and then peeling the sticky fabric apart on either side of the vertical opening to reveal his smooth skin. He was beyond frustrated now to the point where he didn't care if he had to rip his coat apart to free his hands just so that he could touch her again. Just then, a low groan ripped from his throat at the feel of her soft lips raining light kisses on his chest, going too slowly for his liking until finally, the feel of her warm tongue circling his hard nipple.

"Christ! That feels...so good," Damon groaned out with his head thrown back, finally allowing himself to stand still long enough to enjoy her torturous exploration of his upper body. Feeling giddy with joy at his reactions to her explorations, Elena wrapped her lips around his other nipple and tentatively sucked hard on it until he was panting with excitement. She flattened her palms against his hard chest and slowly traveled downwards, past his abs, past his belly button and followed the vee-shaped muscle down to his lower abs beneath his belt. Her fingers accidentally brushed against the tip of his erection, straining upwards in his tightening pants, making him jump from the unexpected contact.

"Don't!" he growled, unable to control his heightened state of arousal if she continued teasing him this way. Once again, he struggled against the constraints of his coat around his wrists, but they wouldn't budge. "A little help, please?" he pleaded, turning slightly to the side so that she could reach his wrists.

Elena looked up at him with a cheeky expression, her lips curving into a slow and languorous smile while she remained unmoving. "I don't know, I kinda like the idea of you being tied up and me being in control while you're helpless and stuck. If we're in prison, this kinda makes you my bitch, doesn't it?" she giggled playfully, her hands once again making their slow journey up his chest.

"Are you a closet dominatrix or something? Because I'll play all you want _later_, but right now, you have _no_ idea how badly I just want to touch you," he said, eyes smoldering at her. "Help a guy out, won't you?"

"All right, if I must," she sighed dramatically, as if letting him go went against every grain in her body. "A little light would help," she said after surveying the tangled mess on his lower arms.

Damon glanced around the familiar room, spotting the nearest light source in the middle of the room. "Umm...over there, by the couch," he gestured with a tilt of his head, shuffling over to a long and large black shape before pausing beside a table lamp and waited until she managed to find the switch to turn it on. As soon as the warm glow of light penetrated across the room, Elena's breath hitched as she took in his magnificent physique. With his wet hair disheveled and plastered to his head, his toned muscles on his chest and abdomen casting shadows on the flawless skin from the light, he was officially the most perfect man to ever walk the earth, in her opinion.

Before, she had been a little unsure about how far she was willing to go with him, but now any doubt she might have had were completely obliterated at the sight of his hungry gaze on hers. She was practically salivating at the thought of letting this Greek God have his way with her, so she hastily tugged at his sleeves until his cuff links gave way, fall onto the floor with heavy clinks. In the next two seconds, he had both his coat and shirt on the floor behind him and in another, he had her zip undone and was now sliding her tight dress down until it pooled in a heap around her ankles. Clad only in her bra and lace boy shorts, her tanned skin broke out in goose bumps as she stood there, shivering under his scrutiny.

"Do you know how exquisite you are? And how much I want you right now?" Damon murmured huskily as his gaze swept hungrily over her perfect body, his finger pushing a lock of hair off her face before curling his hand around her neck as he claimed her lips again. She leaned into him, yearning to be closer to him as he reached behind her to unhook her bra before sliding the straps off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. She blushed at his hot gaze on her newly exposed flesh, watching him swallow nervously as his eyes darkened with desire. Hesitatingly, he let his hands cup her full breasts and they filled his palms as if they were made just for him. He squeezed the globes together as his thumbs flicked the erect nipples, making her moan into his mouth.

His hands then moved down to her thighs, lifting her up so that they wrapped around his waist, making sure that his hard bulge rubbed against her cleft while he walked a few more steps to the right so that he could set her down on the couch. Eager to relieve the pressure in his pants, he stepped back to work on his belt, then pulling the zipper down to slide it off until he was finally naked in all his glorious form. There was no time for Elena to catch a glimpse of him, though, as he immediately leaned down to her chest and wrapped his lips around a hard nipple, making her back arched in pleasure from his sucking motions. While his lips pleased her upper body, his hands were busy parting her thighs until they were wide enough for him to fit his hips in between them.

Once he had her in the position he wanted, his slid a finger against the fabric of her drenched underwear until it found the hard nub at the very top of her thighs. Her hips jerked violently in response as she let out a guttural moan. Pleased with her reaction, he wanted more, to feel her bare flesh beneath him but found himself increasingly annoyed at the sight of her panties. He pulled the offending material down the length of her long legs, exposing her dripping center, her scent of arousal enveloping him before he bent lower to run his tongue down the length of her slit, eliciting another throaty moan from her.

Elena had never experienced this kind of passion before and never had she ever felt comfortable enough with a guy to expose herself so completely, but she couldn't bring herself to care at that moment. All she could think about was a hungry yearning for _him,_ this particular man who managed to sneak past her usual reserve when it came to members of the opposite sex, knowing that somehow, _he_ was the only man ever to evoke such primitive need in her, and _boy_, did she need him. Unconsciously, her body reached out for something that she knew only _he_ could give her, but she didn't know what it was, exactly. She writhed helplessly under his unrelenting assault, his tongue flicking repeatedly on her sensitive nub, making her body tremble with pangs of pleasure even as her wetness continued to flow out of her in an endless stream.

Then, his finger replaced his tongue on the clit, and he bent his head even lower so that his tongue could probe through her opening where her juices were flowing out unchecked. He sucked on her wetness greedily, feeling her fingers pulling at his hair in a tight grip as his tongue then entered her, slowly at first, and then speeding up to the pace his finger was rubbing her swollen clit. He opened his eyes to observe her face just as she screamed out her release, her face and chest flushed in a gorgeous reddish hue.

Her legs were still trembling, her breasts heaving from the orgasm when he stood up and leaned over her as he took his hard member in his hand and positioned the head right at her quivering entrance. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers and then swiftly pushed himself into her quivering heat.

"Please, wait, I'm-" she panicked as soon as she realized what his intentions were but he was already passed the point of being able to stop as he entered her in one smooth stroke, rendering her speechless. Tears of pain sprang to her eyes as she felt him deep within her, her inner muscles struggling to accommodate his large manhood even as he withdrew to the very tip only to thrust into her again, groaning as he did so.

"Christ, you're so tight. You feel amazing around me," Damon muttered softly, unaware of what he had just done. He pressed his lips onto hers again, loving the feel of her swollen lips as their breaths mingled together.

The pain became a dull ache as he thrust into her a few more times, and Elena was then able to relax enough to feel other sensations besides the initial pain. She pulled away from his lips, burying her face into his neck and threw her arms around his broad shoulders and hugged him to her, offering her body to him completely while he quickened his thrusts, desperate for release as he brought her closer and closer to her own. She could feel her inner muscles started to spasm and contract again and she surrendered to her second orgasm of the night just before he let out a low moan and released his seed deep within her. He stayed still for a moment, enjoying the way her body throbbed around him before collapsing in an exhausted heap on top of her, their hearts pumping in time with each other's as they lay unmoving on the couch.

When their breathing evened out again, Damon lifted his head to gaze down at her in wonder, thinking how incredibly lucky he was to have this woman walk into the bar and ended up sitting down next to him. There was a foreign feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that threatened to consume his whole being when he thought of how perfect her body had felt against his. Then, he noticed the tear tracks from the outer corners of her eyes that ran down towards her ears and he shot up guiltily, thinking that he had hurt her somehow. His eyes wandered over her body, trying to ignore the way his body reacted to her nakedness yet again, searching for a clue as to why she was crying until he caught sight of the traces of blood around her inner thighs and the opening of her womanhood.

Regret washed through him instantly at the realization of him taking her virginity. He wasn't even gentle with her; in fact, he didn't even notice it when he entered her for the first time. He vaguely recalled her saying...something to him just before that, but he was too far gone by then to process anything in his brain. At that moment, he was completely under the control of his other head.

Elena had fallen asleep while they were lying together earlier, when he was still sprawled out on top of her. He wanted to ask her why she didn't warn him beforehand that she was a virgin, and to find out how an adult woman who looked like her had managed to hold on to her innocence for so long. Knowing what he knew now, he felt oddly protective of her. Perhaps it was because she looked so young and innocent now as she was sleeping or maybe it was because she had given him a part of her that nobody else was deemed to be worthy of.

His heart bursting with emotion for the woman he had just met and slept with, Damon impulsively leaned down to brush his lips softly against hers, feeling more than simple affection for this mystery woman who had somehow captured his mind and heart. He veered back in dismay when she stirred and opened her eyes in confusion upon seeing his face.

"Sorry, did I fall asleep?" her lips lifted at the corners with a lazy smile as her brown eyes drifted close again, apparently finding nothing wrong with waking up under a man she had just met hours ago.

"Why?" Damon asked flatly, sitting up so that he didn't squash her.

Elena was still in a hazy state of mind, not quite fully recovered from the euphoria of having sex for the first time in her life. "Hmm? Why what?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were a virgin?" he watched her eyes fly open in shock when he mentioned the last word.

She bolted straight up, looking around for something to cover herself when she realized that she was naked and exposed to his gaze. "What-how did you know?" she asked, grabbing a throw pillow from behind her to cover her chest.

"Because of the blood," he said simply, indicating to the dried marks on her thighs.

Elena followed his gaze down to the wet junction of her thighs, and then quickly moved the small pillow down to block his view."Oh, ugh, I hate mess. May I-may I be excused?" she asked, sounding like a small child asking for permission.

"Why? Where are you going?" Damon sounded alarmed at the thought of her leaving at that moment without giving him a proper explanation, his brows narrowing in concern.

"I'm just thinking of cleaning myself up, and taking a shower if that's okay with you," she told him, fighting an insane urge to lower her eyes to catch a glimpse of his nakedness, although she secretly wanted to stare at him and to never blink again.

A sudden image of them in a shower came unbidden into his mind. Damon shook his head to clear it, saying, "Oh, yeah, yeah, of course. Let's take a shower and wash that rain off." He got up from the couch to locate his discarded pants and pulled it on, flashing the gaping woman behind him with a full view of his naked behind, before he walked a few steps towards the bedroom, pausing to turn back to her, his brow lifted in a silent question as he wondered why she hadn't moved from her spot.

"Umm, I'm still kinda exposed and you said '_Let's_ take a shower'? As in _together_?" Elena asked, blushing furiously at the thought.

"Oh, no, no, I meant umm...separately, but at the same time, in a different bathroom. Unless you wanted -" he trailed off, passing her discarded dress to her, which she took, gratefully.

She released the breath she'd been unconsciously holding in relief. "Oh my God, I love taking showers separately, you know, in different bathrooms," she said hurriedly before he offered to let her join him, because _that_ would be too intimate. But then, she had just given him her most prized possession; her virginity. What could be more intimate than _that_? After the sex they've had, and the orgasms he gave her, showering together seemed...mundane. God, what was she thinking? She wasn't some sex-crazed teenager!

"So, umm...I'm gonna go shower, and you will _also_ go shower, in another bathroom, totally separately, and-and can you just not peek at me?" she asked nervously while she covered her entire front with the dress held tightly in front of her lengthwise, leaving her entire back bare, before she stood up on unsteady feet and started stepping sideways, keeping her covered front facing him and her exposed back away from his curious eyes, not realizing that there was a huge mirror right behind her.

Damon's mood instantly lightened to hilarity as he watched her try to sidestep her way in a wide circle around him to a door on the other side of the living room, while providing him with a tantalizing view of her entire naked back in the mirror. He struggled to keep his face straight the entire time, choosing not to say anything to alarm her until she stepped through the door she was aiming for and gratefully slammed the door close behind her.

He let out a bark of laughter and shook his head at her cuteness when she remained in the kitchen for long time.

"Umm, in case you didn't already know, that's the kitchen. Were you planning to shower in the sink?" he shouted at the direction of the closed door she just disappeared behind and chuckled happily.

A moment later the door swung open, revealing a sheepish half-naked woman. "I-I was thirsty so I got a drink. Must be the alcohol in my system," she lied haltingly and blushed when he gave her a knowing look.

"I see, then I'm glad you got the right room for that. Now, the _bathroom_ is through that arch over there, first door on the right."

Elena's head whipped to the direction he was pointing at, hoping that he wouldn't make fun of her and send her to a closet or something like that. "Th-thanks. I'll see you later," she mumbled and practically ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Damon chuckled again, shaking his head at the adorable image she presented and made his way to Ric's bedroom with the attached bathroom and showered there, all the while imagining her standing naked under the spray of shower in the other bathroom.

She sighed in relief once she reached inside the protection of the four bathroom walls, and turned the shower on full blast. Twenty minutes later, she shut off the shower and squeezed the excess water from her newly washed hair, feeling much better despite the sore muscles and a dull ache deep inside her belly. That man had certainly affected her deeply, pun intended.

She found a clean towel and wrapped herself in it as she couldn't bring herself to pull on the only wet dress she had with her. Figuring that the towel was the best option she had at the moment, she opened the bathroom door and walked out carefully, keeping her eyes peeled for a sign of him. As she turned the corner, she collided with his hard chest, now clad in a casual vee neck shirt and sweatpants. He gave her his devilish smirk and held up a pair of boxers and an over-sized tee-shirt for her.

"Here, as much as I would like you to stay in that towel all night, I wouldn't want you to catch a cold, so I thought you might like these. Can I offer to wash and spin dry your clothes for you? I'm throwing mine in, too," he offered, unable to help his eyes from drifting down her wet body, draped delectably in a towel.

"Umm, sure, but you _do_ know that you have to wash those separately, right? And you can't throw your jacket in; you'll have to get it dry-cleaned. Plus you can't wash whites with colored clothes, while undergarments should be washed separately, of course."

His mouth hung open as he looked at her in amazement. This...lady just keep on surprising him; she knew how to do laundry? A woman who looked like her knew her way around a washing machine? Damned if that didn't make him even _more_ attracted to her!

"Maybe _I_ should do it," she said gently, sensing his cluelessness at separating their clothes. "Just let me get changed first and I'll be right out." She disappeared back into the bathroom for a minute, taunting Damon with her towel-clad behind unknowingly, before she appeared again in Ric's casual pajamas. He thought she had actually looked even more desirable than in that tight dress, if that was even possible, a close second to his favorite towel look. Oh wait, he had definitely preferred her naked look even more, with her lying bare and ready beneath him.

He cleared his throat when he felt his lower body started to respond to his mental picture, choosing instead to show her where the laundry room was, finding himself reluctantly impressed when she pressed the complicated buttons on the machine until the first load started without any problem.

"Well, don't look so amazed, it's not exactly rocket science!" she teased when she caught his expression.

Damon chuckled at her quip, glad that they were no longer in the awkward phase after they had initially realized that they were two strangers who just had sex on the couch. "I know it's not, but I can't help but be impressed anyway. Kath - my ex," he corrected quickly, "couldn't even differentiate between a washing machine and a microwave if you asked her. I really doubt if she even knew that we had a laundry room."

"So what made you fall in love with her anyway?" Elena asked, actually curious to know what kind of woman would get a proposal from such an amazing, hot, perfect, sexy, great...what was she saying again?

He shrugged dismissively, not int he mood to spoil his perfect evening by taking about the woman he had just dumped. "I honestly don't know, and even if I did, it's all in the past anyway. Come on, let's talk about something more pleasant after the day we've both had," he said, pulling her down to sit on the floor next to him as the sounds of water filling the washing machine surrounded them.

"I don't know, my day started off really crappy, but by the end of it, I thought it was kinda phenomenal," she said softly, studying him with her soft brown eyes. it was impossible not to melt when she was looking at him that way.

"You're right, it was," Damon agreed with a soft smile. Then, he decided to satisfy the burning curiosity he had ever since he discovered that she was a virgin. "So, why _me_? I mean, a woman who looks like you shouldn't have any trouble getting men to fall at your feet. So, I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the idea of you being a virgin at your age. Haven't you had a boyfriend before?"

Elena hesitated before answering, feeling apprehensive to share something personal with a stranger, despite the night they just shared. But then again, what was the harm in that when she didn't really plan to ever pursue anything with him after this? "Yes...I had a relationship with my best friend whom I grew up with ever since we were five years old. I guess, for me, it never really progressed from best friend to lovers. Don't get me wrong, we cared deeply for each other, but we just never had that...chemistry like we-" she paused before she said something inappropriate, like giving him the idea that she liked him, which she did, to her surprise and dismay.

"Like _we_ do? I know what you mean. I felt it, too but I thought it was only me. But aside from the fact that you were a virgin, I...really enjoyed it, you know, being with you." Which he _did_, to Damon's surprise and sudden joy. For some odd reason, he felt more connected to _her_ in a few hours than Katherine and all the other women he'd dated previously. It was as if they had met today of all days because it was a sign given to him that he wasn't supposed to be marrying a woman he didn't even like.

"Me too," she smiled shyly at him as they sat in the laundry room floor, leaning back against the wall in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. By the time the laundry was done, she was literally asleep against the wall, her head on his shoulders. Damon spent some time staring down at her, studying the way her long lashes fluttered against her smooth skin as she slept before he reluctantly moved her head carefully off him before throwing the last load into the dryer and set it to spin. He crouched down to carry her, liking the feel of her light weight in his arms and made his way out of the laundry room. He decided to put her down in the guest bedroom and covered her up with a blanket, letting his finger glide down her cheeks and jawline and then pressing a gentle peck on her forehead in a rare show of affection before he walked back out to the living room and sank down on the couch.

Damon's head swam with memories of their passionate night together and he finally fell asleep with pleasant dreams of her. When he finally woke up late the next morning, the house was quiet. He stretched lazily and cursed loudly at the pounding in his head when he sat up. He tried to recall what happened last night, and suddenly the memories of _her_ came rushing back to him. Despite a splitting headache and aching joints, he jumped up to his feet and sneaked a peek into the guest bedroom to find the bed neatly made without a trace of anyone ever having slept on it.

Was he so drunk that he made up the entire night of being with _her_? No, it wasn't possible.

He made his way into the laundry room and found his dry clothes hung neatly from a hanger without any of her clothes in sight. Not even her purse or her shoes.

She was gone.

She was gone, and he never even asked for her name. They had talked about some extremely private things, like the fact that her parents died two weeks ago, and that she was adopted. Oh, and she was a virgin, but _that_ he found out through show-and-tell. Beyond that, he didn't know _anything_ about her, not even where she worked, where she lived, or how old she was.

He could have kicked himself for not asking her name when he had the chance. How the _hell_ was he supposed to find her _now_?

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><p><strong>Surprised that she was a virgin? I wanted Damon to be her first and only; it's kinda romantic that way. And the fact that she was wearing Alaric's boxers, well, Matt Davis would be happy about that! <strong>

**Again, thanks for your support! Appreciate any feedback!**

**As usual, Like it, love it, hate it, please review the heck out of it. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks once again for the multiple reviews, story alerts, etc.**

**I see a lot of unfamiliar names from reviewers, so I just wanna say I appreciate the efforts of you letting me know your comments and thoughts.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Despair<strong>

Elena closed the door behind her as quietly as possible and tip-toed her way down the narrow hallway to the elevator, praying and hoping that he would not wake up now and find her there. She fidgeted and jumped at the slightest sound around her until the elevator doors slid open and she managed to slip inside the cabin undetected. Her heart rate eventually slowed down to normal as the lift descended to the ground floor, where she could make her escape without the awkward morning-after talk with the man who basically rocked her world last night. In fact, he was the _only_ man who did that.

She hurried outside and flagged down a cab to take her home, her heart twisting at the thought of not seeing _him_ again. No doubt she was drunk last night, and did things that she would normally never do, like sleep with a stranger on the first non-date. Was that why alcohol wasn't supposed to be served to underage people, for fear that they couldn't handle their liquor and end up having wild sex with strange people in strange places?

She supposed she could blame it on John, her real father. Being upset after finding out that she was adopted and that she was John's daughter drove her to drink and made stupid decisions. Yes, John practically _forced_ her into that Salvatore guy's arms, she thought to herself and then sighed deeply.

No, this was _entirely_ her fault. _She_ decided to walk into a bar, _she_ decided to drink, _she_ decided to let herself be seduced by him, and _she_ decided to have sex with him in his apartment. She was a Gilbert, and she wasn't the type to make poor life choices without thinking over and over again about the consequences. Except for last night, when her choices ended up with her meeting an amazing guy who was sweet, charming, funny, and gorgeous. Now it was time to put it all behind her; she gave herself one free pass to let go and be someone else after everything she had been though the past two weeks, and that moment was over. She had to chalk it up to an experience she'd never forget and move on with her cursed life.

Despite her family issues, she had a bright future ahead of her. She was starting her first semester in college in three weeks, and she's applying for the journalism scholarship that would help to pay for her education in case John changes his mind about withdrawing her college fund. Jeremy was coming back in a few months after his short-term course in arts at Italy, and Bonnie would be back soon also. Things were looking up!

Her positive thoughts immediately took a nosedive when the cab pulled up in front of her home that she had lived all her life with her parents and Jeremy. With a weary sigh, she gathered her things and paid the driver before she unfolded herself from the backseat of the car to stand facing the house that no longer felt like home. After her parents' death, she tried to spend as much time away from here, preferring to either hang out at Bonnie's room, or the library, where she got to read her books and do some research for a few articles for submission to a local newspaper. They'll publish her articles sometimes, and she gets paid for her work if they use it. It was a good experience for when she becomes a real journalist after she gets her degree.

Unable to avoid the confrontation with Jenna and John, who have taken permanent residence in the house, any longer, she walked in through the front door, and as expected, met the worried gaze from her aunt and a furious glare from her father. She decided to not say anything and started to make her way upstairs to her bedroom but was immediately stopped by his angry bellow.

"Elena! Stop where you are right now! You've got _some_ nerve walking back in here with no explanations as to where you've been the whole night without even a courtesy call! Do you have any idea how worried we were?" John yelled as he stomped his way to the bottom of the staircase where she was standing.

"_Jenna_ was worried. You? You were _never_ worried about me," she bit out defensively while casting an apologetic look to her aunt who was lurking near the foyer.

"Mind your tone with me, young lady! I am your father, so you should show some respect!"

"Respect? Respect is earned, and you are _not_ my father! My father's dead. Just because you gave me life doesn't mean that you deserved the right to be called one!"

A shocked gasp escaped from Jenna as she witnessed the slap John landed across her niece's cheek. Elena's chest heaved from the mounting anger as she held her throbbing cheek in her palm, glaring at John. She ran upstairs to her room without another word.

"John! How dare you lay a hand on Elena! She has been through so much and the only reason I allow you to stay in this house is because your brother left you as her guardian and control over the kids' inheritance," Jenna shrieked at the man she hated, wishing that she had the right to chase him out of the house and away from Elena.

"Oh please, Jenna, you didn't _allow_ me to do anything. My brother left _me_ this house and control over their future because I'm a Gilbert, and it will be a cold day in hell before you get your grubby little paws on what's rightfully mine! So, be grateful that I let _you_ stay in _my_ house!" he said with a smirk, before turning to leave through the front door of the house.

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><p>Damon spent his weekend alternating between moping in Ric's apartment or drinking at Sigi's. If he was being honest, he was actually waiting for a glimpse of <em>her<em>, and secretly hoping that she would walk in like she did that evening. The bartender said that he had never seen her come in the bar before, so she wasn't a regular there. He spent his every waking hour just going over the events that happened that night, remembering her laugh, the way she looked drenched to her skin after coming in from the rain, and the way her body molded against his on the couch. He didn't even spare his ex-fiancee a thought even though he was reluctant to tell his father the news of his broken engagement.

So, it was with a mixture of anticipation and reluctance that he walked into his office on Monday morning only to be cornered by Ric, who was armed with a sly smile and a briefcase.

"So, do I need to call in a cleaning crew to disinfect my whole apartment? I hope you didn't screw her in my room because that would be completely presumptuous and inappropriate. Or why don't you give me a list of the places you _didn't_ do it in? That's probably a shorter list right, you sly dog?" Ric's wide grin showed most of his gleaming white teeth, almost blinding him with the brightness.

"No, dick, it wasn't like that at all, so stop trying to cheapen it!" he retorted back, clearly in a bad mood from missing her all weekend.

"Cheapen it? Wasn't she just a distraction from Katherine, just a roll in the hay while you get over your ex?" Ric asked, surprise etched in his facial expression.

"She wasn't-she wasn't a distraction. Far from it! Let's just say that Katherine hadn't crosses my mind at all last weekend."

"Oh-she was _that_ good in bed, huh? Was she feisty? Did you role-play? Make her beg? Maybe let her whip you into submission, that kind of thing?" Ric practically rubbed his palms together gleefully as he let his imagination run wild.

"Jeez, what's the _matter_ with you, you sick bastard? Are you trying to live vicariously through me for some reason? Meredith not doing it for you anymore?" Damon asked, feeling a little concerned for his friend.

"Well," Ric sighed heavily, "if you _must_ know, Mer's moving to LA. She got a job offer as a senior resident and she is taking it. So in answer to your question, yes, I _am_ living vicariously through you, at least until I find my own roll-in-the-hay," he shrugged.

"Well, _that_ sucks! I'm sorry to hear that, buddy. Before she leaves, can you please ask her to return all my Taylor Swift cds and my Glee season one and two box-set? I'd appreciate it! And since you need some cheering up, I will tell you about my... err... lady friend," Damon told him, as Ric settled down on the chair in front of Damon's desk and made himself comfortable.

"So, tell me _everything_, starting with her name," he said.

"I didn't find out her name. At least I didn't get a chance to. She sneaked out before I could ask her the next morning. You know what else? She didn't ask for mine either," Damon admitted, frowning slightly as he realized this fact.

"Ohhhh, burn! She sounds like a pro, man! The lady walks into a bar, flirts with a handsome man, ends up in his apartment, screws around and sneaks out before he wakes up in the morning without giving any information about herself! A total pro!" Ric exclaimed as he studied Damon's reaction to his summary.

"No, she was a virgin! She-she's not what you think or might expect for someone so beautiful. She's the polar opposite of Kat, and that is a huge plus."

"A virgin, you say? Wow, that was unexpected. And by the way, you sound _totally_ whipped for a one night stand. Are you going to see her again?" Ric asked.

"I don't know, but I hope so. She didn't turn up at the bar again after that night. And I have _no_ idea where to start searching for her either. Hey, you're in research, so any tips to help me find her again?" Damon pondered, since his friend _is_ head of the research department in his father's company.

"Well, you can lift her fingerprints off the surface that she touched in my apartment, run it by some crime lab, and see if it matches any hits in their system, assuming she's a criminal or did some time in prison. Or, you can get one of those K-9 unit dogs and let it sniff her out. Otherwise, you have to leave it to fate!" Ric announced gaily.

"That's extremely CSI of you, dick! And _not_ helpful at all! I just-I just want to see her again, maybe talk to her, find out her name, and make sure she's doing alright with her life, you know?" Damon muttered as he buried his head in his hands on his office desk, surprised that he was missing her so much.

"Ohh, I know what's going on now," Ric chuckled before he started singing in his baritone voice while snapping his fingers and grinning cheekily.

"You think she's gorgeous, you think she's sexyyyy, you wanna daaaate her, you wanna kiss her, you want to hug her, you want to lurve her, you're so pathetic..."

"Stop it!" Damon laughed, his cheeks reddened as he stood up and stalked towards the singing Ric who, in turn, ran behind his desk to avoid being caught. "Seriously, stop singing! Ric, shut the hell up!" he warned jokingly as the two grown men ran around his desk in circles. They stopped in their tracks when the office door flew open and a heavyset man came bursting through the doors.

"What have you done, Damon Salvatore? Nathan Pierce just called me and told me about your breakup with Katherine! Is that true?" Giuseppe Salvatore roared out in anger as he confronted his eldest son.

Damon exchanged a worried glance with Ric before he hesitatingly approached his father.

"Yes, Father, it's true. I asked her to move out by yesterday," Damon admitted as he inserted his hands in his pants pocket before they twitched or trembled with nervousness, an unavoidable habit every time his father raised his voice. He watched warily as his father clenched his jaw until the muscles spasmed.

"Saltzman, will you please give me and my son a moment to ourselves?" Giuseppe bit out through his teeth, reining in his temper in the presence of his head of research.

"Umm, of course, Mr. Salvatore," Ric made a quick escape to avoid what he knew was going to be an ugly scene, and he gave Damon a look of grimace and a thumbs-up sign for luck before he closed the door behind him.

"Do you have _any_ idea what you've done?" Giuseppe burst out as soon as the door was shut. "Salvatore Corporation's _entire_ survival hinges on Nathan Pierce's influence! He is the _only_ reason we've survived so long going against the Lockwoods! And now, without thinking of the repercussions, you've managed to destroy what I took forty years to build, all because you can't handle a simple matter like keeping his daughter happy! Son, I don't care what you do or how you do it, either you beg on your knees or apologize and grovel, but you make _damn_ sure that you get Katherine back and you _marry_ her!"

"But Father, I found her in bed with Mason Lockwood! She's been cheating on me for the past year. And I suspect that she's the insider that gave them the edge to outbid us every time we lost our contracts. Just think, Father, our business' significant losses started sometime last year. It must have been Katherine who did it, it makes perfect sense," Damon explained, hoping that his father would consider his points as he couldn't bear the thought of getting back together with her again, not after he'd found-

"Why would Katherine do that? She doesn't have any motive to go against her own father like that. What does she have to gain, _money_? Nathan has plenty of that, and as his only child, she is the sole heir to his entire estate. She will be worth billions!" Giuseppe shook his head in denial. "No, son, I think that you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. So, she slept with Mason. What is the big deal? You have _more_ than enough on your plate to handle anyway to care about such trivial things. She can have her distractions while you focus more on the business. Someday, this will all be yours since Stefan has no interest to be part of the company. We cannot afford to piss off our only remaining ally, or we will lose _everything_, you understand me?" he looked at his son sternly, willing him to make the right choice for his future.

"Father, do you even care that I don't love her? Do you want me to be stuck in a loveless marriage forever so that we can be rich and maintain our lifestyle? I know this company means a lot to you, it means a lot to me, too. But you're asking me to be unhappy in a marriage to a woman that I don't want nor love. Does my happiness mean less to you than a business?" Damon said quietly, feeling his heart ache at his father's unflinching gaze, knowing that effort was futile, but he had to try anyway.

"Son, you must do this, for me, for our family. This is not just a business, Salvatore Corporation is my life! I have made a lot of sacrifices to build up this company with my own bare hands, and I'd die if I let anyone take it away from me! If you want love, get a mistress who can satisfy you. But I want the Salvatores and the Pierces to be merged by marriage as that will secure our entire future. And I want a legitimate heir from you, a grandson who will bear our family name and will inherit our empire."

"An heir? Katherine does not have a single motherly bone in her body! And I'm pretty sure that she doesn't want kids. She told me before that she didn't want to get pregnant and ruin her figure. I marry Katherine and that is the end of the Salvatore name unless Stefan has one. Father, please!" Damon pleaded, unwilling to believe that his father is as cold and unfeeling as he is right now.

"Well, then you just have to convince her, won't you? After all, you're not the Executive Director of Salvatore Corp for nothing if you can't even handle your wife. Swap her birth control pills for vitamins or something, but I want an heir that is half Salvatore and half Pierce. Then my grandson will be assured an inheritance from the Pierce's empire too. Now, I will not tell you again, fix your relationship with Katherine, marry her and I will make you one of the shareholders. That is what you've always wanted, isn't it, son?" that was his father's parting shot as he left an astounded Damon in his office without giving him a chance to disagree. The younger man sank down wearily onto the leather sofa, and rested his forehead down on his palm as he let his disappointment wash over him.

Perhaps it was just as well that he never saw the woman he's been thinking of again; if he had such trouble forgetting her after spending just one night with her, it would kill him to say good bye after developing feelings for her after a few dates. If he had to marry Katherine Pierce, then he'd better get over his stupid crush on the girl with the wide brown doe-eyes that penetrated right into his soul.

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><p><em><strong>(Four weeks later) <strong>_

Elena grabbed onto the edge of the sink while she emptied her stomach violently into the white porcelain bowl. She waited a few more minutes for the nausea to pass before she rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth again for the second time today. This stomach flu had been bugging her for the past one week and no antibiotics she had taken so far had managed to bring it under control.

She also hasn't been eating well; she was afraid to eat anything different for fear that her stomach would reject it. In addition to the stomach bug, she must have been stressed over the start of her first semester in college, and the many disagreements with John at home. It got to a point that she had been sleeping over at Bonnie's even more frequently now, occasionally dropping by at home just to visit Jenna and to get a change of clothes.

Jenna had begged her to spend more time at home so that they could keep each other company while attempting to ignore John, but Elena had refused adamantly. She felt sorry for her aunt having to face the monster alone, but she couldn't look at him without bile rising in her throat. Ever since he hurt her with that slap on the face, John's mood had escalated to foul as he came back drunk every night and taking out his temper on Elena and Jenna, among other furniture items that did not survived his wrath.

So, Elena had decided to stay with Bonnie until she can afford to rent a room on her own. Bonnie had asked her to move in with her, but her father was moving back in to stay with her and her grams, and it was such a small two-bedroom apartment, that she couldn't stay on for long. The problem was that she was broke, and she had not approached John for her college funds yet. She was hoping that she will be able to get the scholarship, and maybe work part-time to earn some income so that she can afford to pay rent.

As she walked back out of the bathroom, she met the worried gaze of her best friend who was lounging on the bed.

"Elena, are you okay? You look a little green. And that's the second time today that you've thrown up. I think you should see a doctor, get it checked out," Bonnie advised as she looked anxiously at her friend who immediately sank down onto the bed.

"I'm-I'm fine, Bon. Just stomach flu, I think. I'll be fine after some rest, don't worry," she replied huskily, her throat sore after so many times of throwing up.

"No, honey, you're _not_ fine! Come on! I'm taking you to the doctor's office," Bonnie insisted and proceeded to drag her exhausted friend off the bed and into her car.

The tests took merely half an hour to complete, after which they had to wait for another hour before they were able to get the blood test results back. They drove back to Bonnie's home in silence as they were wrapped up in their own thoughts. As soon as they walked in, Elena wrapped her friend in a hug.

"Bon, thanks for forcing me to go to the doctor's. Do you-do you think I'm really sick? Like maybe it's life-threatening or something?" Elena whispered, feeling terrified all of a sudden as she felt tears escaping from the corners of her eyes.

"No, Lena, of course not! I'm sure you were right the first time, that it's just stomach flu. You'll be fine once they figure out what type of bug you have, just try to relax for a while, ok?" Bonnie said kindly as she led her into the bedroom for a nap.

Half an hour later, the shrill ringing of her phone made Elena lurched up in bed with a jolt. Heart pumping wildly, she answered her mobile with trepidation as she braced herself for bad news.

"H-hello?"

"Ms. Gilbert? This is Dr. Ferguson from the clinic. We have your blood test results. Congratulations, you're pregnant. Would you like us to refer you to an OB/GYN..."

Her mind shut down at that moment, her limbs went numb with shock as she struggled to keep herself from hyperventilating. Her phone slipped onto the bed from her frozen fingers, and suddenly everything was crystal clear. It all made sense now; the vomiting, the lack of appetite, the fact that her period was two weeks late, her exhaustion, every single sign pointed to this simple but terrifying truth.

She was pregnant. And Salvatore was the father.

Oh. Holy. Fuck!

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><p><strong>God, I'm exhausted! A new chapter a day with a full-time job and only 3 hours of sleep every night? Yeah, miracle! <strong>

**Sorry for the lack of Delena scenes in this chapter, but I hoped I made up for it with Ricmon/Damic bromance scenes. I could totally imagine Ric singing and both of them chasing each other around the table wearing their power suits and ties. **

**Who else hated Giuseppe? *raise hand* That dude is pure evil!**

**Next chapter: Delena, of course!**

**As usual, like it, love it, hate it, please review the heck out of it. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hot damn! Over 40 reviews for 3 chapters. You guys really rock!**

**Do you guys miss Delena as much as I do? If so, read on!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: The Truth<strong>

Elena's eyes shifted to Bonnie's as they paused at the front door of the house, a feeling of foreboding took over her body as she prepared for a confrontation that couldn't lead to anything good. Bonnie gave her a nod of encouragement before she rapped her knuckles against the door, and a few seconds later, the door swung open to reveal a slender woman who looked at them curiously.

"Elena, why would you knock before entering your own home?" Jenna asked as she shot a quizzical look at her niece. "Hey, Bonnie! Well? Are you guys coming in?" her eyes alternated between the two teenagers as they remained hovered near the doorway.

"Umm, actually, Jenna, I'm gonna go. Umm...Elena has something to tell you," Bonnie said hesitatingly as she shifted her weight to the other leg uncomfortably. "Okay, bye! Elena, call me later?" she waited until her friend nodded weakly without uttering a single word, and then she gave her a small smile before she drove off, leaving Elena alone to face her aunt.

"Is-is John home?" Elena asked, peering behind Jenna, expecting to see his ominous presence nearby.

"Nope, he stepped out for a little while. He'll be back soon, I guess. Now, come on! What did you want to tell me? Here, have a seat," Jenna said as she pulled her down onto the sofa with her. Her eyes started to narrow in concern when Elena visibly paled and avoided her gaze as she steeled herself to just get it over with.

"Look, don't freak out, okay?" Elena warned. "I-I'm pregnant," she held her breath in silence as she waited for all hell to break loose. All of a sudden, her aunt burst out in laughter, breaking the tense moment.

"Oh my, Elena, for a second there, you almost had me fooled! Ohh, seriously, don't do that to me again. I nearly had a heart attack!" Jenna looked visibly relieved when she thought that it was all a joke.

"No, Jenna, it's true. I wish that I _was_ kidding, but I'm not. This is why I've been sick recently. I-I thought it was a bug or some kind of stomach flu, but it's not. I went to the doctor's to check it out, and he confirmed it," Elena said haltingly as she watched her aunt's face veered from amusement to disbelief in a matter of seconds. "I-I'm scared, Jenna. What should I do?"

Jenna's mouth gaped open and she blinked a few times, as if unable to believe what she was hearing. "You-you're pregnant? How? I mean, I know _how_, obviously, but you're not even dating! Are you?" she asked, searching through her mind for any recollection of Elena ever mentioning about a guy recently, but she came up blank.

"No. It was a stupid mistake. Remember last month, at the lawyer's office? I left and didn't come home until the next morning?" Elena recounted, and a look of understanding dawned on Jenna's face as she nodded. "Well, I needed a drink to get my mind off things, so I went to a local bar somewhere and I met a guy. Well, we got to talking, and even had dinner there. Eventually, we both got a little drunk and we ended up at his place, and well, I'm sure you can guess the rest," she wasn't going into details of what she felt that night, even though she wanted to share everything with her aunt; they were close like that. But this wasn't the time to delve into how charming, funny, and safe she felt with _him _that she allowed herself to actually follow a stranger back to his house and even spent the night together.

"Elena, you're not even old enough to drink! What were you doing in a bar? And, to go home with the guy? Come on, that's a little irresponsible, especially for you! That sounds like something that _I_ would do, but not you! _Never_ you! Well, was he even hot?" Jenna asked, her mood changed instantly from anger to curiosity. Trust Jenna to react in a totally inappropriate manner; she's the coolest aunt, _ever_!

"Umm, yeah, he _really_ was. In his defence, it wasn't like he picked me up at a bar and had his way with me. We both had a really sucky day, and we just...brought comfort to one another. I was _very_ attracted to him and I think he was attracted to me too, and it felt...I don't know, I guess it felt right," Elena admitted, surprising even herself at that admission since she didn't allow herself to think of that night again. "We spent the better part of the evening just talking and laughing, and then we danced, and...it was a pretty magical night. In case you're wondering, he didn't force me into _anything_, I was perfectly willing. I guess the thought of using protection never even crossed our minds," she finished, feeling guilty.

"But what about the morning-after pill? You could have taken that and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"Honestly, I didn't even know about the morning-after pill until now. It was just something I've never had to find out about. It-_that_ was my first time, and after I came home and John slapped me, I-I was too upset to even think about it," Elena said softly, as if it was a terrible shame.

"What?" Jenna stared at her in disbelief. "You were an eighteen year old virgin? Wow! I couldn't even tell you the exact number of guys I've slept with by the time I tur- ah, never mind, that's not important. What about Matt? You guys were together for quite a while, didn't you guys...fooled around a little?" she asked.

"Matt and I have been friends for forever, and we weren't exactly 'physically involved' with each other. Our relationship wasn't like that at all. But with _this_ guy, I don't know, he just...made me _feel_ things, things I've never felt before with _anyone_," Elena told her, and as usual, being the hopeless romantic, Jenna looked happy for her niece to find a potential guy she could fall in love with. She just wanted her to be happy, for once.

"So, are you going to see him again? Did you exchange numbers? Are you going to tell him that you're pregnant with his baby?" Jenna asked excitedly, her mind already imaging the various scenarios that Elena and her mystery guy will end up in; a tall guy with blond hair and grey eyes kneeling down on one knee and proposing with a diamond ring while Elena nodded happily with happy tears falling on her cheeks; a gorgeous brunette couple strolling hand-in-hand along the beach with an adorable toddler running ahead of them; A muscular sandy-haired man standing in front of a church, his eyes wrinkling in a breath-taking smile as he watch his future wife slowly walking down the aisle-

Her daydream came to an abrupt halt at the sound of a loud slamming of the front door and a voice full of rage bellowing out at them. "What? You're pregnant? How could you be so _stupid_!" John's face reddened in anger as he made his way into the living room and rounded in on the two shocked ladies.

"Calm down, John. It's not as bad as it looks, she's ju-" Jenna started to say but was cut off by his deafening roar.

"You shut the fuck up! I'm talking to my daughter, who obviously has no sense whatsoever in getting herself knocked up! Well, you slut? What have you got to say for yourself?" he asked as he dragged her up from the sofa roughly by the arms and shook her until her teeth chattered.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to happen. I just-" Elena stopped, her voice stuck in her throat, knowing that there was no way she could reason with him.

"So, couldn't find any excuse, could ya? You're really your mother's daughter, you know? Isobel was a _whore_ too, just like you. I had to take a paternity test to make sure that the baby was mine; she had _that_ many lovers. And sure enough, eighteen years later, history repeats itself. So, do you even _know_ who the father is, or do we need to do a paternity test too? How many _were_ there? I'm _actually_ surprised this hasn't happened sooner," John stared down at her in disgust, and flung her arms away as if she was an infectious disease.

"_Of course_ I know who the father is. Contrary to your belief, I _don't_ sleep around and I'm sure as hell not a-a-a whore! I made a mistake, I was a virgin! It was my first and only experience and if you were my _actual_ father, like my dad was to me, then you'd know I'm not lying!" she retorted back, hurt that he called her a slut and a whore.

"Well, whatever it is, you _are_ pregnant! And I'm not going to spend a single cent on that bastard child of yours. You either get an abortion, or you find that lover of yours and get him to support you. So, what will it be?" John asked, his hands folded in front of his chest, as he gave her the ultimatum.

"John, what are you talking about, an abortion? You can't be serious! She's just a teenager. An abortion will put her at physical risk, not to mention the emotional scarring she'll have to go through! No, Elena, you're not gonna do that, are you?" Jenna turned to look at Elena in horror, hoping that her niece wouldn't make such a terrible decision.

"No, I-I'm not going for an abortion. The baby's innocent, I couldn't do that. I _won't_ do that!" Elena declared, much to her aunt's relief.

"Well then, tell me the father's name and we'll go sort this out right now." He waited for her to speak but she remained silent. "Elena, either you tell me right now, or I'm dragging you by the hair to the clinic to get that thing out of you!" he threatened through gritted teeth.

"I-I can't! I need some time to think about what to do, so I can't tell you yet. Can you please give me a few days to think?" Elena pleaded, her heart pounding at the thought of John physically hurting Salvatore if he finds him.

"I don't give a _damn_ what you want, you little bitch! If you won't tell me his name, fine! You're coming with me," he said as he dragged her arm and forced her to walk with him towards the main door.

"No! Please, you're hurting me! John, I'm not going! Jenna, please," Elena swung her head back to plead for Jenna's help even as she was still being forcibly dragged forward.

"John, let go of her! I swear to God, if you hurt her again, I will call the cops on you!" Jenna threatened, trying to pry his fingers off Elena's arm.

"Oh? And tell them, what? That a teenager was too stupid to use a condom and got herself pregnant, and her concerned father is getting her problem fixed? _Trust_ me, they'll laugh at you. I gave her a choice, either she tells me the guy's name and where to find him, or she's getting her ass dragged to get an abortion. If she chooses neither, then I will kick you both out of the house without a single cent, and she can say bye-bye to her college fund. Soon, you'll _both_ be living out on the street, her college will kick her out for not paying the school fees, and there goes any chance for a future. Oh, and who's going to pay for the baby's birth? Hmm? Now, Elena, I'm not going to tell you again, let's get going!" John started to drag her out again until she screamed out a name.

"Salvatore! That-that's his name. Please don't kick Jenna out. It's all my fault, not hers. I'm-"

"_Salvatore_? As in Salvatore Corporation? Which brother was it? Damon or Stefan?" At the moment, John looked stunned at the mention of the name he least expected to hear from her lips. If the guy was indeed the Salvatore he imagined to be, then he just hit a major jackpot.

"Errr, I never got his first name. Do you _know_ them?" Elena asked, her heart sinking to her stomach.

"_Everyone_ knows about the Salvatores. They're one of the biggest corporation in New York. Here, I'll show you a photo of them," John said, his demeanour totally different from the angry, unreasonable man he was just a few seconds ago. He searched around the coffee table for the Financial Times paper and when he found it, he flicked through several pages until he found what he was looking for. He walked over to where Elena and Jenna still stood frozen over this latest development and pointed a finger over two photos on the page.

"This is Stefan Salvatore, the youngest brother. He's not in the business, though he attends the company functions with his father. And this, this is Damon Salvatore, the elder brother and Executive Director of Salvatore Corp, heir to the whole company," John explained as he pointed at each photo, but Elena was not listening. As soon as she saw his face smirking up at her, she felt her legs go weak and it took all the strength she possessed not to fall crumpled to the floor at that moment. Beside her, Jenna sucked in a breath sharply when she saw her niece's reaction as she stared at Damon's photo.

"Wowza! He's _hot_! No _wonder_ you lost your virginity to him. I would have jumped him in the bar!" she exclaimed, clearly drooling a little.

"Not helping!" Elena whispered sternly under her breath, still staring at his handsome mug. Then, she noticed a gorgeous brunette standing next to him, with her arms around his waist possessively. She read the description under the photo which said:

'_Damon Salvatore and his fiancée Katherine Pierce, at the Salvatore Corporation's annual ball, where it was announced by the company's rep that he is now one of the shareholders.'_

So he _forgave_ her. His fiancée cheated on him, and the day he found out, he slept with the first girl he could find. And then he went right back to her, like the typical rich guy he is, one with no principles, no morals, no shame. Granted, they looked like a pair of models together, and as if they were made for each other. Why _wouldn't_ he get back with her? This was what the rich does, they fight, they break up, they cheat on each other or have sex with random strangers, and then they get back with each other like nothing happened. It was probably a sport to them, and she was just a game to him. She couldn't believe she had a crush on him when she didn't even know him. Clearly he's not the man she thought he was. How wrong was her judgement of him that night?

"It's Damon Salvatore, isn't it? He's the one who knocked you up! Well, I got a thing or two to say to him about that. Let's go!" John spoke up, snapping her out of her reverie.

"What? I _told_ you his name. I'm not going to the clinic!" Elena struggled against his grip on her wrist, as he started to pull her to his car again.

"We're not _going_ to the clinic. We're going to have a little heart-to-heart talk to your lover boy, and make him _pay_ for his actions; that's what we're doing. We're going to Salvatore Corporations," John smirked as he deposited a reluctant Elena into the passenger seat before he got in himself and started the engine. To the surprise of the both of them, Jenna wordlessly slid in the backseat.

"What? I need to see this guy for myself, too. You know, to give him a piece of my mind for seducing my niece," she told them, her voice innocent, but she wasn't fooling anyone at all. Elena knew that her aunt wanted to meet the hot guy who had managed to make her throw caution to the wind and slept with him.

* * *

><p>John pulled his car into the visitor's car park lot in the building and the three of them made their way into the lobby where the security counter was located. It was late afternoon on a Saturday, and the lobby was almost deserted except for a few staff, who usually came in to work during the weekends.<p>

"We're here to see Damon Salvatore. Tell him it's an emergency," John announced haughtily, as if the guards will grant him immediate access if he spoke as if he had every right to see the Executive Director.

'I'm sorry, Sir, we do not allow visitors to enter the building on a non-working day. Will you please make an appointment with Mr. Salvatore's secretary on Monday?" the heavyset guard suggested.

"I don't think you heard me correctly. I said it was an e-mer-gen-cy," John pronounced every syllable of the word slowly, as if the guard was slow or hard of hearing. "That means it _cannot_ wait till Monday! Call your boss and tell him that John Gilbert wishes to speak to Damon Salvatore. Tell the arrogant bastard that it's about a one night stand he had with a teenager," he announced loudly and pointed to Elena, much to her mortification.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Sir. Our corporate office is closed today and I really cannot allow you in. Perhaps you should contact Mr. Salvatore directly and arrange-" the guard said firmly but was cut off by John's indignant scream.

"You moron, if I _had_ his number I wouldn't be here talking to an idiot! Either you let us go up to see him, or you give me his number, or I swear to God, I'm suing _you_ and your company for –"

"Excuse me, what seems to be the problem here?" a male voice rang out as he approached the counter from the elevators. Four pairs of eyes turned to him in unison but he only noticed one of them.

"Hey, I know you. You were at that bar, with Damon. What are you doing here?" Ric asked, his eyes taking in Elena's appearance that looked so different than her sophisticated look he'd seen her in before.

"Finally, someone who knows that asshole. Hey, can you tell this moron here, that we're here to see Damon Salvatore? It's an emergency," John told him, rolling his eyes at the guard who glared back at him.

'Mr. Saltzman, I told this _gentleman_ that we do not allow visitors during weekends. However, he insisted to see Mr. Salvatore because of his, err...relationship with this teenager here," the guard said, his eyes shifted to indicate he was referring to Elena as the teenager.

"What? A teenager?" Ric exclaimed in shock, his eyes narrowed on Elena's pale, strickened face. "It's okay, I'll handle this one," he told the guard as he led the trio to a corner away from prying eyes.

"Damon's been looking for you, you know?" he addressed her first, preferring to ignore the aggressive man who was getting even more annoyed by the second.

"What for?" John cut in, unwilling to be ignored, "So he could seduce my daughter for _another_ romp in the sack? Isn't it enough that he knocked her up already? So, can you or can you not get me in to see him?" he demanded.

"You're pregnant? God, this is a mess! Look, Damon is not here. He's at the mansion with his parents. There's a family function going on now, but..." Ric sighed, not knowing what to do. On the one hand, Damon would be happy to see her again, but on the other, her crazy father was a second away from shooting his friend for sleeping with his daughter.

"I don't care if he's having a tea party with the President! I just need to tell him about Elena's situation and have a discussion with him on what his next course of action is. So, tell me how to find him or else I'll spread the news of his 'indiscretion' on his fiancée with a teenager he met in a bar," John's voice was filled with malice as he tried to convince this stranger to give up Damon's location.

"Now, don't do anything hasty. I'll give you his address, you can talk to him there," Ric held up his hands to calm him down and pulled out a pen from his pocket. He walked over to the security counter and wrote a few words on a piece of paper before handing it over to John.

Without thanking him, John read the address and pulled Elena's wrist with him towards the parking lot. Only the slender blonde remained standing there, smiling shyly at Ric.

"Hello, sorry I didn't introduce myself. I was...distracted, to be honest. I'm Alaric Saltzman," Ric held out his hand and gave her a lazy grin.

"I'm Jenna, Elena's..umm...sister," she shook his hand as she blushed under his gaze. "Do you work with Damon?"

"Actually, I work _for_ him, but we're friends. I'm the head of the research department in the company," Ric explained.

"I _love_ research! And a head of a department, that's _quite_ an accomplishment for someone so young and charming," she smiled up at him, totally forgetting about Elena and John.

"Why, thank you. Would you like to go out to dinner sometime? Since you love research so much, I'll tell you all about my job," Ric grinned, putting Damon's problems out of his mind.

"Jenna! Stop flirting and let's _go_!" John's booming voice rang out impatiently through the lobby.

"Err, I have to go. Yes to dinner. I will call you at your office on Monday, is that alright, Alaric Saltzman?" Jenna asked as she started walking backwards towards a waiting John.

"Sounds perfect. I can't wait," Ric flashed his wide grin again at her retreating figure and watched as she giggled gaily and waved before she disappeared out the door.

Gorgeous young lady who can't resist _his_ charms? Double check!

* * *

><p>Damon stood beside his parents, his brother, his fiancée and her father Nathan Pierce, bored out of his mind. It has been exactly one month, one day and nine hours since he saw <em>her<em>. He tried to push her out of his mind, and accept the fact that he wasn't going to see her again. But try as he might, he can't seem to shake the vision of her wide brown doe eyes from his thoughts. It was the last thing he saw before he fell asleep at night, and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes in the morning.

In the weeks following his and his father's "discussion" at his office, he had gotten back together with Katherine, much to the delight of both their fathers. Before, he had at least been in lust with his fiancée, even though he barely tolerated her when they weren't in bed. But now, he had to find excuses not to sleep with her, and that made her even more pissy than normal. Sure, she carried herself with effortless grace and ladylike manner as expected for an heiress in public, so nobody had a real idea what she was like behind closed doors. She would scream, shout, pout, and make threats if she doesn't get her way.

Once, he woke up in bed to find himself tied up, and Katherine was grinding herself on top of him, straddling his morning erection, courtesy of his vivid dream of making love to the brown eyed girl in Ric's apartment. Left with no other choice, he allowed himself to close his eyes and let his mind wander as Katherine got off on his hard length, satisfying her sexual appetite for the moment. He got up to shower as soon as she untied him, trying to lean down and kiss him before he made his escape, but he was too fast for her. Needless to say, he has been working extremely late at his office and leaving early for work ever since. He honestly cannot see himself being married to such a selfish bitch but he had no choice; he knew his father wouldn't hesitate to sack him from the company and deny him his rights as a son who had dedicated most of his life to the company.

He was barely ten years old when his father allowed him to follow along to visit the office. He watched from a corner while his father chaired meetings, had corporate meetings with his clients and conducted press conferences for the launching of new plans. He had fallen in love with this corporate world, unlike Stefan who steered clear of the business. His little brother couldn't be _more_ different than him; Stefan established the SSF – Stefan Salvatore Foundation – that advocates animal rights and welfare, and he was extremely passionate about it. In fact, the only time Stefan gave the business any attention was when he tried to involve the company to support his cause. However, being the only son who had any interest to take over the company as soon his father retired didn't secure his position in the company.

His father had made it clear to him that whoever was deemed capable to run the company shall be the one who will hold the major shares of the company. It didn't necessarily have to be Salvatore. Sometimes, he thinks that his father was bluffing, perhaps it was a ruse to pressure him to handle more important decisions or business dealings so that his father would know that he can rise up to the challenge, but his father was an unpredictable man. If you expect him to go one way, he will turn around and surprise you by going an entirely opposite direction. Nobody could read his father, and that made him a formidable opponent in the business.

His thoughts drifted back to the party when he heard raised voices at the entrance of the mansion. A male voice was shouting profanities at the servant, so he quickly left his small group of people beside him and made his way to the front of the entrance. As soon as he appeared, the brown haired man focused his furious gaze at him and launched into another angry tirade.

"You arrogant son of a bitch! Finally, you dare to show your face after doing despicable things to an innocent young teenager who had the misfortune to lay her eyes on you! How dare you seduce my daughter and got her pregnant!" the unreasonable man screamed.

"Sir, will you please lower your voice? Who the hell are you? I've never _met_ your teenage daughter in my life!" Damon hissed out defensively, aware of the many pair of eyes starting to shift towards the entrance, all wondering what the fuss was about.

"Liar! You people think that just because you're rich that you can get away with anything! Well, _not_ this time! I'll make you _pay_ for spoiling Elena's future, all because you took advantage of an innocent young girl and seduced her into having unprotected sex with you!" John bit out, pleased that he finally had his opportunity to lash out at the guilty man himself.

"Damon, what is going on? What's with all the commotion? We have guests in the other room," Giuseppe, barely holding on to his temper at this disruption, reminded as he and his wife Rosalyn stepped into the entrance foyer.

"Father, I was just explaining to this man here that I do not know any teenager by the name of Elena and I did not sleep with her! Clearly, it's all a misunderstanding," Damon explained calmly to his father who looked over at John as if he was just a lowlife commoner looking to make a fast buck by making false accusations.

"Well then, get rid of him before our guests hears what's going on and rumours start spreading about this unfortunate event," Giuseppe said and started to turn on his heel to leave the foyer.

"You're not getting rid of me _that_ easily. Perhaps if you saw her, that would jog up your memory! Elena, get in here!" John commanded as he reached behind him and pulled her roughly through the doorway as she stumbled and tried to regain her balance.

At Damon's surprised gasp, four pairs of eyes snapped to his face; his parents, John and Jenna's. Elena remained silent with her eyes glued to the floor, willing herself not to look up at his face. She already knew that it was definitely him by the sound of his voice as she heard his conversation with John as she stood behind the doors.

Damon couldn't believe his eyes. It was _her_, it _really_ was her! Joy exploded in his chest as he studied her features, very much different today than what he remembered that one night a month or so ago. She looked pale, tired, extremely young and innocent, far from the enchanting creature he had laughed, danced and made love with. As she stood in front of him now, he thought that she looked different but somehow even more alluring. Perhaps it was because she was here in the present, right in front of him, within his reach. Just then, he remembered what the mad man said; his daughter, _Elena_, was a teenager and she was pregnant. Wait, was that _her_ name? Elena? Somehow, under all his scrambled thoughts and panicky reactions to her father's allegations, he couldn't help but to think how her name suited her perfectly.

"Elena?" he spoke then, stepping one step nearer to her as he reached out to touch her face. She looked up at him at that point, her eyes meeting his and they both felt a jolt as their intense connection flared out around them in that second their eyes held each other's. His fingers were just a few inches from her face when she jumped back and recoiled with fear.

"Damon! Do you _know_ this girl? Is what this man said true?" Giuseppe asked, his own voice rising.

"Yes, I know her. I didn't recognise her name, but I know her. Perhaps we should all go into the study to discuss this...situation," Damon suggested, his eyes glued to her face, wondering why she didn't look up at him again as she returned to staring at the floor. If it was possible, she looked even paler than before. Suddenly she snapped her head up and looked at him.

"Excuse me, where's the bathroom? I have to throw up!" she blurted out as she clasped her palm over her mouth.

Alarmed, he pointed to a door at the end of the foyer, next to the staircase and he watched as she ran hastily into it.

Fifteen minutes later, a shaken and green-toned figure slowly walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Damon had waited for her at the base of the staircase, intending to check how she was doing, and so he walked over to her when he heard the bathroom door open and closed.

"Are you alright? Do you need some water or a napkin?" he asked in concern, letting his eyes examine her pale skin, the dark circles under her eyes and her shaking hands.

"No, I'm fine. Where's John and Jenna?" she enquired, refusing to meet his gaze.

"If you're referring to the attractive blond and the caveman, then they're in the study, his eyes probably shooting daggers at my parents. Shall we join them?" Damon asked.

"Yes," she nodded eagerly, unable to bear another moment alone with him.

"Okay, follow me," he indicated to her, longing to touch her arm to support her when she looked so weak, but she didn't seem like she would welcome any kind of contact from him whatsoever.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the study room as Damon and Elena walked in. She hurried over to take a seat beside Jenna on a leather sofa, while John remained standing with his arms crossed defensively around his chest. Damon walked over to his parents, also seated down on a similar sofa opposite Jenna and Elena. Nobody spoke for a moment, until Giuseppe cleared his throat and started.

"I'm Giuseppe and this is my wife Rosalyn. Clearly, you all know Damon. What are your names?" he started saying almost cordially.

"I'm John Gilbert, Elena's father and that's Jenna Sommers, her aunt. Now, can we cut the crap and move on with business?" John said, his eyes glaring at Damon.

At the word 'business' Giuseppe's eyes narrowed.

"You stormed into my house, make insane allegations about my son, and you dare to take that tone with me? Obviously, you have _no_ idea who you're dealing with," his voice raised slightly with a thin veil of threat.

"Oh, I know very well who you are, Salvatores of Salvatore Corp. But _obviously_, _you_ don't know who _you're_ dealing with. By my daughters' own admission, your son seduced an innocent eighteen year old girl and had unprotected sex with her. Now, she's a pregnant eighteen year old girl who has lost any possibly bright future with an unwanted child. She refused to get an abortion despite my insistence, and now I want your son to bear responsibility for his mistake," John explained, his eyes now on Giuseppe.

"You're eighteen?" Damon suddenly asked, his tone surprised as he looked at Elena.

"Yes. I'll be nineteen in June," she said weakly.

"But-you were in a bar. Drinking alcohol! You're not even old enough to drink!" he exclaimed, unable to believe that she was as young as she said. She certainly didn't look eighteen when he met her that night.

"Ummm, I had a really bad day, so I made-up to look older so that I could get a drink. The bartender didn't even card me," she said.

"By her own admission, your daughter just admitted that she lied about her age to get in the bar. It sounded like she knew what she got herself into. What makes you so sure that it's my son's child, anyway?" Giuseppe threw the question at John, who pointedly looked at Elena.

"Your son was the only man I...slept with. I haven't ever since, and the dates match."

"Father, it's true, I didn't realise till later that she was a virgin. I saw the proof. I was her first," Damon nodded, shooting a glance at Elena's face.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that you were the last man she slept with. There could have been others, maybe she's just afraid to say it out loud. Maybe they are trying to place the blame on you. Son, don't fall for their trap. These people just want your money!" Giuseppe said in disgust.

"I don't want _anything_ from you, least of all from Damon! I just want to go home!" Elena burst out, surprising everyone by her sudden angry tone, as Rosalyn Salvatore studied her with interest.

"You shut the hell up, you little slut! I'm trying to fix _your_ mistakes, so why don't you be quiet?" John yelled at her.

"Yes, they are _my_ mistakes, mine alone! You're not trying to help me, you're just trying to make money off of me! So, leave these people alone, I'm done! I'm going home. I'll settle my own problems from now on," Elena declared angrily as she stood up and started walking towards the door. In the next instant John had his fingers in a tight grip around her neck, his eyes turned dangerous as he glared furiously at her.

"You little ungrateful bitch! I have had it with you. You can kiss your inheritance and college fund goodbye! You're not getting a single cent from my brother's trust fund. One more word out of you and I'll kick you out so fast, you'll land on your stomach and hopefully kill that bastard child of yours. You hear me?" his voice turned threateningly low as he squeezed her throat, cutting off her breath totally as she struggled against him. In the next instant, Jenna and Damon both sprang up and threw a punch at John; one of it landed against his ear, and the other, against his ribs. The force of both blows knocked his fingers off Elena's throat, allowing her to gasp in deep breaths.

"You touch her one more time, and I'll make sure you rot behind bars before you can even blink!" Damon's low voice hissed menacingly at John who was huddled on the ground, in agonizing pain.

"Elena! Where are you going?" Jenna suddenly asked when she saw her niece opening the study doors, taking advantage of the distraction, and then she was gone, slamming the doors behind her.

Jenna made to follow after her, but Rosalyn spoke up.

"Wait, Ms. Sommers! Damon, go after her and talk to her. We will keep an eye on this ogre while we wait for you. Go now, before she gets too far," she said, speaking for the first time since all this happened. She watched in satisfaction as he nodded obediently and went after Elena.

Rosalyn was a woman of few words, but she was an excellent judge of character. And from what she had observed between her son and the teenage girl, it was more than a meaningless drunken night between them. Her spirits lifted as she remembered how courageous the girl was a moment ago, standing up to her father. Any other girl would have succumbed to his bullying or broke down in tears in her situation. But not this girl; she had not shed a single tear throughout the whole ordeal at their house just now. Not one tear. Instead, she saw glimpses of strength and stubbornness in the depths of her eyes. It almost reminded her of herself when she was younger.

Yes, she found herself liking that Elena girl.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, I wanted for this chapter to go on forever, but it's 5 freaking a.m. and I need to sleep. Hope you liked the progression! Over and out.<strong>

**As usual, like it, love it, hate it, please review the heck out of it.**

**p.s.: I included SSF (Stefan Salvatore Foundation) as a tribute to Ian Somerhalder Foundation that really advocates animal welfare and all. Ian Somerhalder rules! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Received great great reviews for Chapter 4 and I'm so grateful to all of you who read it and liked it.**

**Time for some more Delena moments. In this chapter, Rosalyn Salvatore rocks!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: The Deal<strong>

John Gilbert stood up slowly from the floor where he landed after being on the receiving end of two simultaneous punches that left him bruised and in pain. Man, Jenna sure packed a mean punch for her tiny size. He rubbed his left ear where her fist landed and winced when he straightened up, his ribs also bruised from Damon's punch. He glared at the remaining occupants of the room where three pairs of eyes narrowed on him.

"I don't think it was a great idea to let that monster go anywhere near my daughter unsupervised. He has done enough damage already, don't you think?" he expressed to the coolly composed Rosalyn Salvatore.

"Mr. Gilbert, I think we all know where the _monster_ is, and he is right here in this room. I don't know how you deal with things in your family, but here in the Salvatore household, we do not condone any form of violence or verbal abuse. Your daughter will be treated with the utmost respect by my son, who was brought up to be a gentleman," Rosalyn's gentle reprimand did not go unnoticed by the rest, and Jenna had to suppress a sudden urge to giggle while John continued to glare at the composed woman, unable to come up with _any_ retort.

"Now, _you_ seem to be the more reasonable adult here and most likely to have Elena's best interest at heart," she addressed Jenna, "so we have to come up with a solution to deal with this...unfortunate incident."

"Wait a minute, she is _my_ daughter! If _anyone_ has a right to decide on her future, it will be me! So, make your offer and I will decide if it's acceptable to me or not," John burst out in barely controlled anger.

"If you think that I will negotiate with the man whom I just witnessed physically attacking his own daughter, threatened to cut off her inheritance and deprive her of an education before kicking her out of her own home, then you are sadly mistaken. I will not allow you to bully us in settling an amount of money with you or give you a chance to hurt that innocent girl any more than you already have. If you were looking to make a quick buck out of the misery of your own daughter, then I must disappoint you," Rosalyn continued, still speaking calmly like the well-bred aristocrat she was brought up to be.

"You little rich snob! How dare you look down your nose at me! Don't think for a second that I will not blow this whole thing up to the public. The press will have a field day if they knew that the engaged son of the rich entrepreneur and the heir to the empire of Salvatore Corporation is nothing more than a cheat _and_ a rapist! I will make sure that the Salvatore's name will be dragged through the mud before I'm through with you! Don't think that just because you are rich, you can do anything to cover this up, because _I_ have connections too. I know some people who would do anything to see the Salvatore empire burn to the ground. You make an enemy out of me, and you will live to regret it, you mark my words!" John bit out in a furious rage, standing just a foot away in front of the composed woman who was merely looking at him as if he was an annoying fly.

"Really? Is that before or after I call the police and report an attempted murder of a teenage pregnant girl right here in my study? Surely four witnesses is enough to send you behind bars and out of our hair for a long time? Tell me, what is the normal sentence for attempted murder nowadays?" Rosalyn directed the question at Jenna who was smiling broadly at John's sudden pale face at the mention of police and murder.

"Oh, I think it's somewhere between ten to fifteen years in New York," Jenna answered gleefully.

"Rose, what are you doing? Just pay the man and get them out of our lives forever! I will not risk our family name and our company's reputation on these people. If this gets out to the public and the press gets wind of this, then we are ruined!" Giuseppe finally voiced out, his face haggard and drawn from the entire confrontation.

"Hush, husband. I will explain later, but Mr. Gilbert knows that he has no basis to his claims. Damon was already broken up with Katherine at the time it happened, and it seemed as if they were two consenting adults on their night together. Granted, they should have been more careful, but what's done is done. And now, there is a child involved. That should be the main concern here, not selfish get-rich-quick schemes and certainly not the reputation of a company," she explained coolly, but her eyes flashed a warning at her husband. "Now, Mr. Gilbert, now that our business is complete, I suggest you leave the premises before I change my mind about calling the police. As for you, Ms. Sommers, I would appreciate if you stayed back and wait for your niece while my son retrieves her." Jenna nodded in relief as she didn't want to leave with an obviously furious and potentially violent John.

"I will leave, but Jenna, you tell Elena that she is no longer allowed back to the house. She can forget about the money and I do not want to know anything about that bastard child of hers and I never want to see her again. Feel free to join her too, if you like," and with that John Gilbert cast a chilling glare at the Salvatores and stalked out of the room.

As soon as he was gone, the two women visibly relaxed and leaned back into their respective sofas.

"I do _not_ like that man!" Rosalyn declared, her eyes still glaring at the door that John just walked out of.

"You're too kind, I _hate_ that man! The only reason I stayed at that house is because of Elena. I couldn't bear to leave her alone in that house to deal with him, not after she just suffered a great loss. John's brother and my sister were her parents, and they died in a car accident about one and a half months back. The day that she met your son was the day that she was told by the lawyers that her parents left everything to John, her real father. She was adopted; she never even met her real mother, the poor girl. John was never around, he was a gambler and a jerk, and we've hated him for as long as we can remember. It was a horror for Elena to find out that the man she hated was her real father and that now, he was in full control of her college fund and inheritance. She just started college, too but I don't see how she could afford it now," Jenna sighed, feeling helpless for being unable to help out her niece since she was also studying her Masters now.

"Oh, that poor girl. She has been through so much for a girl her age. And now, with being pregnant and unable to afford college, I feel so sorry for what she's going through. But I could tell that she has a lot of courage and strength in her, and I have no doubt that she'll make the right decisions for herself and for her baby. That is one of the reasons why I asked you to stay, Ms. Sommers. I need your help to convince your niece that she should let us help her, and that she should marry Damon," Rosalyn said, before two shocked gasps escaped from the remaining two other people in the room.

"What? Are you _crazy_? Damon can't marry the girl! He's engaged to Katherine Pierce! Nathan will not be happy to hear this! No, I _won't_ allow it! It's the most preposterous idea you've ever had! What were you thinking?" Giuseppe burst out indignantly.

"I'm thinking of a little baby, your _grandchild_ that is growing inside Elena's belly as we speak. I'm thinking of a teenager who has just lost everything she'd ever known in her young life, with no possible future to look forward to if she raises the baby alone. I'm also thinking of you, Giuseppe. If that monster makes good on his threat to expose this entire situation, it would be a public relations nightmare and you know it. The only way to avoid any future problems is to let them marry; at least the baby is legitimate and the press will see how they are a young couple who fell in love and about to raise a family together with our blessings. We will be doting grandparents as opposed to rich snobs who paid off the young girl who carries the illegitimate baby of Damon Salvatore, who had seduced an innocent young girl during a drunken one night stand. Which version of events do you prefer, hmm?" Rosalyn studied her husband's expression as he considered her words.

"Let's say what you just said was true, if they get married, then I want them to get a divorce as soon as the baby is born and we can still have the Salvatore-Pierce relationship. I will need to explain the whole arrangement to Nathan and hope that he'd still support us while this whole charade plays out. Needless to say, we'll keep the baby and in return, we will reimburse the girl with a huge settlement that will take care of her education, her own house, and her entire future," Giuseppe countered, not liking the idea one bit, but his hands were tied when he realised that his wife was right about the public relations nightmare it would bring to the company.

"Wait, so you're suggesting that Elena gets married to your son, and after nine months, she'll lose the baby but be insanely rich? No! That's an even more obscene suggestion than John's to have the baby aborted! Elena will not go for this! She would rather starve to death and live out on the streets than to lose her baby after carrying it to term and delivering it. Your son may have his back-up girlfriend who is willing to wait for him and marry him after all this, but Elena is a teenager! Can you imagine how her life would be like to be a young divorced woman as well as the emotional scarring she'll go through by giving up her baby at the age of nineteen? She's a strong and independent girl, but this, this will _destroy_ her!" Jenna exclaimed in horror, unable to imagine how Elena would react to this news.

"She will have _no_ choice! It's either _this_, or she ends up having to give up her baby for adoption anyway because she'll be broke, alone and unable to hold down a job while taking care of a baby! If she agrees to this, then she'll know that the baby will be left to a good family and will be well provided for. It will bear the Salvatore name, and that, in itself is the best future that she can ever give her baby. Then, with the money she'll get by the end of the marriage, she can do whatever she wants, to build a new life for herself, find a decent young man and have her own family. She will also be free of her father, so she will agree to our terms based on that fact alone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my guests to attend to. I've stayed here longer than I cared for already, handling this farce. Good evening," Giuseppe nodded curtly at a gaping Jenna, whose eyes were shooting daggers at his back.

"I apologize for my husband's callousness," Rosalyn voiced out after her husband has left the room. "He _is_ a businessman, after all. He sees everything as business dealings and he rarely involves feelings in anything he does. But he's not wrong, you know. Though I don't necessarily agree with his idea of Damon marrying Katherine after the divorce, I do, however, agree that it's in Elena's best interest as well as the baby's to bear the Salvatore's name."

"Yes, that may be right, but it is _not_ in Elena's nor the baby's best interest to be apart after the birth. She may be willing to accept being married to your son if she thought that the baby will be taken care of, but she will _not_ be willing to give him or her up once the baby is born! Don't forget that she herself was adopted, and she has lost two people she loved that she thought were her real parents; she will not abandon her baby, not even for all the money in the world. Especially, if Damon were to remarry and his new wife will be the new mother. She'll fight you on this all the way, trust me," Jenna warned.

"I will be honest with you. I do not want Damon to be with Katherine any more than he does. My husband insists on that union only because of his business dealings with the father, and Damon, being the sweet and loyal son he is, does whatever his father tells him to, particularly if it is for the benefit of the company. I'm a pretty good judge of character; I think that Elena can make my son happy, and if she can make him fall in love with her, he will spend the rest of his days making her happy. My son is a loving and passionate man, and once he falls in love, it will be for always. Between you and me, I do not believe that their marriage will end in divorce; therefore the issue of the baby being separated from Elena will be highly unlikely," Rosalyn paused to take a deep breath. "As far as my husband is concerned, he will give his blessing for this marriage if he thinks it will be temporary, perhaps one year from the wedding. As far as _we_ are concerned, well, I am hoping that by the end of one year, my son and your niece will be a _real_ family; in love and no divorce in sight. So, Ms. Sommers? Do I have your approval?"

"As long as Elena is happy, then yes, I am up for it." They shook hands solemnly.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Forty five minutes ago)<strong>_

Damon left the study room quietly, hoping that he can slip out of the house undetected, especially by Katherine. He was still reeling from the whole encounter; He had been praying hard to see Elena again, and he wished he had, but under different circumstances. Never did he expect that she was an eighteen year old teenager and pregnant with _his_ baby to boot. He'd imagined their reunion on numerous occasions, but that she'd show up at his house with her criminally insane father and her aunt was absolutely beyond his imagination.

He was surprised to see the look in her eyes before, it was as if she couldn't stand the sight of him. In fact, except for a total number of two times, she had avoided looking at him the entire time she was in his presence. What changed?

He finally spotted her some distance away, walking down the long driveway away from the house. He broke into a jog and a few seconds later, caught her off guard as she saw him beside her.

"Damon, just leave it alone, okay? I don't want to talk about it!" she muttered, walking faster and intended to leave him behind.

"No, Elena, stop! Listen to me, we have to talk about this!" he insisted as he kept up to her pace with his longer strides.

"There's _nothing_ to talk about! This is _my_ problem, I will handle it! I don't need you or my father telling me what to do with my baby. I'm sorry John forced his way into your home and ruined your evening. So, just go back to your fiancée and your party, and we'll pretend we've never met each other, okay?" she said stubbornly, still walking in that swift pace of hers.

"Damnit Elena, just stop! You're pregnant and you shouldn't be exerting yourself!" Damon cursed softly, his hand shot out to grab her arm to spin her around to face him, her chests heaving from the brisk walk.

"Come on, let's sit down in that gazebo over there. I will not take no for an answer," he warned as he pulled her hand towards a small structure about fifteen feet from the driveway.

She had no choice but to follow him as he was still holding onto her arm, afraid that she'd disappear again if he let her go completely. He dropped her arm when they reached the gazebo and she sat down on a marble bench, her arms folded defensively as she waited for him to speak.

For a moment, he didn't know what to say to her and he grasped at straws to find something to say that wouldn't set her off.

"Under the circumstances, I thought I'd go ahead and use your given name, Elena, than the more formal Ms. Gilbert, is that all right with you?" he asked politely, seeing no harm in that innocent question.

"Really? I can't imagine why you would; I thought Damon and Salvatore suited you just fine, but by all means, use a girl's name for all I care," her lips unwillingly curled upwards at the end at her own joke.

Damon's eyes widened all of a sudden and his face broke into a huge grin as he gave a hearty laugh at her quip, feeling relieved for the unexpected light-hearted moment. "God, you have such a quick wit!" he complimented sincerely as they smiled at each other, breaking the tension.

"I looked for you, you know, after you left that morning. For the next few nights, I sat alone in that bar, hoping that you would walk in like you did that night. The bartender told me that he had never seen you there before and that you weren't a regular, but I still waited like an idiot. Why did you leave without saying goodbye, or at least tell me your name?" Damon finally asked the question he was most curious about.

"I don't normally do stuff like that. I don't walk into bars alone, talk to a stranger and follow him home after one meal together to sleep with a guy I hardly know. When I woke up the next morning, I realized what an idiot I was for doing all those things, so I left. Call it a day of sheer stupidity or whatever, but things looked different in the morning. I didn't expect you to look for me, because well, why _would_ you?" she asked him.

"Why _wouldn't_ I? I thought we connected that night, our talks, our chemistry, and our love-making. By your own admission, it was 'phenomenal' too. If given the chance, I would have wanted to see if it could be something...more." he struggled to find the right word to describe what he thought could happen between them if she hadn't left that morning, but he came up empty.

"Why? I mean, we have _nothing_ in common; I'm eighteen, you're...older; I'm a student, you're a director of a large corporation; I'm broke, you're filthy rich; the list goes on and on! Anyway, it's all water under the bridge now; you're engaged to be married and I have a baby on the way. It's been nice catching up, but I have to return to the real world now," she announced as she stood up to leave.

"That baby is mine too, you know? I have a responsibility to it as much as I have a responsibility to you. I can't just let you handle this by yourself, I won't! Yes, this _is_ the real world and it is brutal, especially for single teenage mothers with no one to help you. You heard what your father said; he's not spending a single cent on the baby and your education and there's every chance he will kick you out of your own home. Furthermore, I won't allow you to go back to your house with him there! He _will_ hurt you again, and I can't have that," Damon said, anguish clear in his eyes as he thought back to how John had almost strangled her to death back in the study.

"Then, what do you propose I do? Abortion? Give it up for adoption? Because I would _never_ consider doing those things. If I don't go back to that house, then where can I go? I don't have _any_ options left! I don't have anything!" she huffed as she sat back down on the bench.

"You have _me_! Let me help you, Elena. Don't take all this on alone, we're _both_ in this together. Like it or not, our lives are going to change in a big way from now on. It's no use pretending otherwise. You'll need health insurance, monthly check-ups, a safe place to stay _away_ from your father, money for hospital bills when the time comes for the baby to be born, and a solid plan for your future. How do you expect to continue your college when you have a newborn in your life? I can help you with all that, if you'll just stop being so stubborn and let me!" he implored, feeling helpless to do much but to worry if she rejected his help.

Just then, the sound of a car roaring to life made them turn their heads to the front of the house and they watched as they saw John's car went racing past the gazebo and towards the road at the end of the driveway before his car turned left at the junction and disappeared from view. He was alone.

Damon turned his attention back on her and he pleaded again, "Please, Elena. Just think about it."

"What about your fiancée? What will _she_ think of all this?" Elena suddenly asked as the thought of the newspaper cutting occurred to her just then.

"She _won't_ be an issue, I promise. Just promise me that you'll think about it, that's all I ask. Since your aunt is still at the house, probably to wait for you, will you allow me to find you both a place to stay? At least for the night, so that I know that you'll be safe from the wrath of your father. You go get a good night's rest and we'll reconvene here tomorrow to discuss this further, okay? Just please don't sneak out again like you did the last time," he warned.

Well, she _was_ tired, and mentally exhausted from everything that happened today, all the confrontations taking a lot out of her. She was grateful for a little reprieve from having to face John again tonight, so she nodded her consent, much to his relief again. He made a call to the nearest hotel, and managed to secure a booking under her name for a deluxe suite. Thankful that she was being slightly more cooperative now, he suggested that they returned to the house to get her aunt, and he would drive them over to the hotel for the night. When she agreed, he stood up from the bench, and held out his hand to help her up. To his surprise and delight, she placed her hand on his and allowed him to pull her until she stood beside him. As they slowly made their way back to the house, she kept her hand on his arm, unconsciously leaning on him for support.

She didn't realize how much she already needed him.

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><p><strong>As usual, like it, love it, hate it, please review the heck out of it.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**What else can I say except for 'Thank you' for your reviews and story alerts? **

**There are some pretty specific requests, I'll try to accommodate as much as I can without messing with the plot, but I'm afraid I can't do much otherwise. I guess, you'll just have to be patient. **

**Hope you'll be happy with this chapter; Katherine's in it! Oh, and also another familiar face...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: The Bargaining<strong>

As Damon and Elena walked in through the front doors of the mansion, her arm linked through his, an enraged woman strode away from a group of elderly gentlemen to intercept the couple's path back to the study room.

"Damon! Where have you been? You disappeared and left me alone with a bunch of old geezers for the past hour! And who is _this_?" the brunette with wavy locks demanded, her eyes travelling up and down the length of the younger brunette's body with an air of superiority, while glaring at the sight of her arm on Damon's.

"I'm sorry, Kat. This is Elena Gilbert. Elena, this is Kath-" Damon started the introductions.

"Katherine Pierce, Damon's fiancée," she finished for him, pulling him over to her side as she ran her hands possessively over his chest, while at the same time, managing to dislodge Elena's arm from his. "Darling, since you've been missing for the most part of the party, I took the liberty to formally announce our engagement to a few of Daddy's friends. The guests have been waiting for you to make the announcement properly so that they can officially congratulate us. Daddy wants to know the date of the wedding too. So, come on, Damon, stop taking pity on the underprivileged kid, and let's go mingle," Katherine cast a disgusted look at Elena as she grabbed his arm to guide him back to the party while he tried to pull away from her.

"No, Kat, I can't-"

"Damon, would you please be a dear and send Ms. Sommers and Ms. Gilbert back for me, please? Katherine, I _must_ apologize to you for taking Damon away from you for so long tonight, but I needed my son to assist me to settle some issues for my two dear old friends here," Rosalyn smoothly interjected as she came waltzing out of the study with Jenna right behind her.

"They are _your_ friends? Why can't Stefan send them back? Damon can't disappear from his own engagement party held in our honour, it's rude and inappropriate. Besides, we were just about to make the announcement," Katherine raised her chin in defiance as she glared defensively at Rosalyn, who maintained her cool expression and polite smile.

"Oh, Katherine, they'll be time for that on another occasion. Besides, I wouldn't ask Damon for his help if it wasn't of the utmost importance. I'm sure you'll understand, Katherine, after all, _family_ comes first. Don't you agree?" Rosalyn slid her gaze to Elena for a second when she stressed on the word 'family' before she returned her gaze back to Katherine.

"Oh, don't pout so, it's extremely unladylike and makes you look like an immature brat," Rosalyn said to an affronted Katherine as Jenna and Damon held back their smiles. "Go on, Damon, send my dear friends safely home and when you get back, I would appreciate if you would come see me for a little night cap. We have much to discuss."

"Of course, Mama Rosa, I'll see you later," Damon grinned at his mother as he used the childhood nickname he gave her when he was young while he leaned in to press a quick peck on her cheek. "Don't wait up, Kat," he said curtly to his fiancée before ushering Elena and her aunt out of the house.

As the three of them got into Damon's car, Jenna leaned over to whisper in Elena's ear, "I like Damon's mom." Elena smiled and nodded in agreement distractedly, the image of Katherine possessively caressing Damon invoking a fresh wave of nausea over her.

* * *

><p>Damon returned home an hour later to find that the party had been dispersed and all the guests had left, much to his relief. He walked over to the liquor cabinet at the corner of the living room and poured himself a glass of his favourite drink, bourbon, and another glass of sherry, his mother's favourite. He held the two glasses and walked up the grand staircase that led to the second level, where his parents' room was located. He knocked softly on the door and waited until he heard his mother's voice calling out for him to enter.<p>

He found her seated alone in front of her vanity mirror in her nightgown, biting her lower lip as she thought about what happened in the study room earlier that evening. When Damon approached her with a glass of sherry, she smiled and took the drink gratefully from him before setting it down untouched on the marble top of her vanity.

"My son, am I right to assume that you _didn't_ send the two ladies home?" she asked.

"How astute of you, Mother. You're right, I sent them to a hotel and checked them in for a few nights. I figured that we needed some time to work some things out and I didn't want Elena to be in the same room with that father of hers anymore, not after what he did to her," Damon gritted his teeth in anger at the thought of that monster's fingers wrapped around Elena's slim throat. He could imagine himself tearing that man limb from limb with his bare hands, consequences be damned. He would not allow anyone to hurt Elena again, ever.

"Yes, I hoped that you would have thought of that. I can't imagine how much that poor girl had gone through at such a young age. Did you know about her parents that died recently? And what that man had threatened her with?" Rosalyn asked, her eyes troubled and filled with sympathy for the young girl.

"Yes, she told me about her parents who died, and how she found out that she was adopted and her real dad was actually her uncle. They left him in control over the family's finances and he may not even pay for her college. I can't believe he would do that to her! She _is_ his daughter!" Damon exclaimed in frustration.

"Oh, he did worse than that. He actually kicked her out of the house and is not willing to pay a single cent to help Elena with the baby and college. He had the cheek to negotiate with us for money in return for his silence. That man does not care for anyone but himself, and we must do our best to help Elena. He threatened to expose what happened to the press, saying how you cheated on Katherine and that you raped Elena. He doesn't even seem to care that he is dragging his own daughter's name and reputation down with us if he did that," Rosalyn shook her head in angry disbelief.

"What? So is he doing that? He's actually depriving Elena from an education? I don't particularly care that he kicked her out of the house since I'd prefer he didn't come within ten feet from her anyway, but her college? He had no right to do that! It's not even _his_ money!" Damon seethed as he paced the floor.

"Oh son, you don't know how proud I am of you right now. I told you that he was trying to expose you as a cheater and a rapist to the press and you didn't even comment on that. You _immediately_ zeroed in on Elena's plight, like I hoped you would. Unlike your father, at least you have your priorities straight," Rosalyn's eyes glowed as she gazed up lovingly at her son's face. "Do you love her, Damon?" she asked softly, watching his reaction.

"I-I don't know, Mother. I've only met her once before today, how can I love somebody after spending only one night with her? That's insane!" Damon responded as he glanced at his mother in surprise at her question.

"Yes, you met her only once, but apparently you were attracted enough to her to lose your head over her that night. That would explain the predicament that brought her to our doorstep today. I'd like to think that I brought you up better than to sleep with random strangers you meet in a bar without at least making sure that you had some sort of protection before jumping into bed with them. You had to feel _something_ for her then, am I right?" Rosalyn asked.

"I-I suppose. To be honest, I felt a connection with her that I've never felt with anyone else before, and if she didn't sneak out the next morning, I would have-"

"Used a condom the second time around, I hope?" she teased, smiling at his blush.

"Mother! You're being a little crude, don't you think? I was going to say that I would have pursued her, maybe go on a few more dates with her, and see if it would lead somewhere," he smiled back.

"Well, you know your mother. I think that I am a pretty good judge of character and from what I saw today, I think the feeling's mutual. Yet, she's not being honest to herself about it as you are. She's a little guarded with her feelings; I bet it's probably due to her losing her parents suddenly and finding out that she was adopted and all. Also, I'll admit to being curious as to what went on between you two when you went after her earlier," Rosalyn said, patting the seat next to her indicating that he should take a seat.

"Well, I had to convince her to listen to me as I wanted to talk about the whole situation. She was...incredibly stubborn," he sighed as he sank down on the seat beside her. "I think her father really did a number on her; she didn't want any help at all, not from me or from him. I think that she blamed herself for getting pregnant and even for causing us trouble today with her father. I had to point out the gravity of the situation she was in if she didn't accept my help. I don't think that she even realizes how much her life would change as her pregnancy advances. I told her about the regular check-ups, health insurance, hospital bills for the delivery when the baby comes, and getting help to mind the baby if she goes back to college. I can't let her bear all that herself, she's just a teenager for God's sake. I told her to think about it and then we'll discuss our options tomorrow over lunch or something," he finished.

"Yes, you are right. She needs our help, but it's not just about money, Damon. She can't be a single mother at eighteen. That would just ruin her life and any chances for a better future! I'm thinking that we offer her security, a home and a family. I think that you should marry her, Damon, and protect her with our family name. The baby will be born into a complete family, with an uncle and grandparents attached. That's the best possible solution to all this," Rosalyn advised, offering him support by gently clasping his hand in hers.

"Marriage? But-but that's absurd, isn't it? What would father say? He-he wants me to marry Katherine, so that he can have Nathan Pierce in his back-pocket to help the company. He won't agree to this, Mother. And what about Katherine? She will _kill_ me!" he sounded shocked to hear his Mother's advice.

"Your father knows, Damon. Look son, I know you don't love Katherine, you probably never have. By your own admission, you've never felt a connection like the one you had with Elena. This tells me that you're only with Katherine to please your father and it pains me to admit that he can be such a cold-hearted businessman that he would let his eldest son suffer in a loveless marriage in order for his company to grow," Rosalyn said that with a disapproving look in her eyes.

"As far as your father is concerned, by marrying Elena, it would eradicate any future gossips, rumours, public scorn or bad reputation that may be caused by John Gilbert. He can talk to the press or get a lawyer or whatever, but he cannot cause the company any harm if you marry Elena and legitimize your child. You know that your father wants an heir, and we all know that Katherine doesn't want children. So, your father will agree to this only if he thinks it is temporary, say for a period of one year. At the end of that period, he will expect you to divorce Elena, gain sole custody of your baby, marry Katherine then and provide Elena with a huge cash settlement that would never leave her wanting again," she explained.

"No! I would never do that to Elena! How is that better than giving her money now? At least she'll get to keep the baby! How can you ask me to be with her for one year, then divorce her and take her child away from her, and marry Katherine after all that? It's wrong and twisted on so many levels! Elena will hate me forever!" Damon almost yelled, unable to imagine himself hurting Elena that way.

"Damon, listen to me. That is just the cover story for your father to give his blessings. That will mean that you'll have one year of peace to be with Elena and I'm hoping that you two will truly fall in love by the end of that period so that you'll go on and be a real family. This will also buy us time to figure out a way to convince your father that we do not need to rely on Nathan Pierce and his daughter for business. You'll have to figure out a way to make sure that Salvatore Corp. survives even without his business influences. Think about it, Damon. If you don't marry Elena now, she will walk out of your life forever with your child. And you'll end up marrying Katherine anyway. This is your _only_ option to hold off the Pierces and to find out if you'll truly be happy with Elena. Don't you think you owe it to yourself to find out?" Rosalyn pressed on, knowing that her words would impact Damon since he would be trapped in Katherine's claws sooner than later.

"I don't know, Mother. It's all so complicated. You know that I broke up with Kat when I met Elena, right? Well, when Father found out, he went ballistic and threatened to kick me out of the company if I didn't patch things up with her. Aside from that, I only got back together with Katherine as I suspected that she was the mole that leaked out our highly confidential information to the Lockwoods. The day that I met Elena was also the day that I caught Kat in bed with Mason Lockwood. I told Father my suspicions but he wouldn't accept it. He said that Katherine had no motives to go against her own father, to work against him. What would she gain if the Lockwoods managed to screw us over? But I've been trying to dig further into the situation. It all made sense, she had access to my files, and she had been cheating on me with Mason since a year ago, around the same time that we started losing big contracts to them. That's why I'm back with Katherine, I'm hoping that she'll slip one day and I would find proof against her and the Lockwoods. If they won all those contracts because of her, then we can take them to court and get back our lost businesses by default. So, I don't know how marrying Elena will mess up my plan to investigate Kat. She's the only lead I have," he explained to his mother who was processing all the information in her head.

"That is quite a predicament you have there, son. I guess then that you have to keep up the charade; you marry Elena, provide her financial security for her and the baby, you'll have to keep Katherine by the sidelines, let her think that you intend to return to her after your divorce is final. Hopefully you'd have found something by then, and we can do away with that aspect of your relationship with Katherine. As for the baby, you can bargain to share joint-custody if it comes to the divorce. I'm saying 'if' because a lot can happen in one year. All I know is that Elena's situation cannot wait any further. The longer we drag this on, the more gossip will spread. And if this gets out to the press before we do something pre-emptive, the public will tear Elena to shreds if they think that you cheated on Katherine with her, not to mention the terrible names they will be calling her and the baby. Let's take care of Elena first, and we'll handle the rest when it comes, okay?" Rosalyn asked.

"I guess that is the right thing to do. I owe her _that_ much, at least. I have to take responsibility for my actions and that _is_ my baby. I'm-I'm going to be a dad," he gave a wobbly smile as joy exploded in his chest at the idea of him being a parent. There was no doubt in his mind that his baby would be gorgeous and just...perfect.

"Yes, you are. And I'm going to be a Grandma," she smiled back, her eyes shining with happy tears at the thought.

"To Grandma!" Damon raised his glass of bourbon and waited for his mother to do the same.

"To baby Salvatore," Rosalyn said in response as she lifted her glass of sherry and clinked with his. They both smiled at each other in anticipation for tomorrow's meeting as they each drank from their glasses.

* * *

><p>"Well, this has been an interesting day, to say the least," Jenna announced as she and Elena settled down after getting ready for bed. "And I must say I fully approve of your taste in men. My God, his eyes! I nearly melted into a puddle on the floor when his eyes looked straight at me. Thank God you didn't have unprotected sex with any other guy. He is the very definition of perfect. In fact, I think that if you look in a dictionary under the word 'hot', you'd find his picture on the description," Jenna giggled like a giddy school girl at the thought.<p>

"Jenna! That's quite inappropriate, even for you!" Elena scoffed at her aunt.

"What? It's true! Although, his friend Alaric Saltzman is also quite a babe. I'm surprised you didn't end up having a threesome with both of them," Jenna voiced out, much to the horror of her niece.

"Please! That's disgusting! Oh my God, can you not talk? My life is in ruins and that's all you can talk about? How hot Damon is and how much of a babe his friend is? Thanks a lot, _Aunt_ Jenna!" Elena grumbled.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Well, it was nice of him to book us a suite in this hotel, you know, since John kicked you out. Oh and he said to tell you that you will never see your college fund or any money from him, and that he never wanted to see you or the baby ever again. That guy is a barrel of fun, isn't he?" Jenna sighed heavily, trying to think of ways to help her niece, but she being only a few years older than Elena and studying her master's degree in psychology, she didn't have much in terms of savings.

"Damon offered to help. While you and John were still in the study, he came after me and started pointing out all the things that I haven't brought myself to think about. I've been so shocked to find out that I was pregnant, I didn't even _consider_ what comes after that. There are the check-ups, the ultrasounds, the hospital bills, the diapers, milk formula, crib and so many other things that I can't even begin to plan for. Once the baby is born, how do I go to college? Who's gonna take care of him? How am I gonna afford _anything_ for him? I'm gonna be a single mother, Jenna. No decent guy will want to date a single mother! Hell, I won't even have _time_ to date until I'm forty! What do you think, Jenna? Do I accept his help? I mean, the baby is also his, right? Is it wrong if he wants to help?" Elena wondered aloud, seeing no other options for herself.

"What if he wants to...I don't know, marry you?" Jenna asked innocently, throwing the idea out to gauge her niece's reaction.

"That's not even funny! It's pathetic, really! He's not going to marry me just because I'm pregnant! For one thing, he's engaged to be married, to a bitch no less. And secondly, he's rich. He doesn't have to marry me when he can just offer to support the baby. Hell, I don't think he even wants to be involved in the whole thing. He just felt sorry for me, I think, and he'll just offer me a few thousands, maybe, just so that I can land on my feet and help to pay for the baby's hospital needs. I'll need to find a part-time job if I'm still in college if that scholarship comes through. That's my last hope, really. Otherwise, I'll just find a permanent job that offers day-care or something," she said in a hopeful voice.

"When will you know about the scholarship? Shouldn't you have gotten a reply from them by now?"

"Yeah, they said sometime this week, but I haven't managed to check my e-mail since I got sick. I've been too busy throwing up. I'll probably check tomorrow if I can get access to the internet and a computer. I'm feeling optimistic about it. My professor said I had a really good chance of getting it, so that might be the only good thing that happened to me in a while," she said, her mood slightly improved somewhat.

"I hope so, Elena. I really hope so. And, if Damon wants to help, let him. They can certainly afford to anyway. Now, why don't you get some sleep? We'll talk it over tomorrow. Are we supposed to meet the Salvatores again at their house?" Jenna asked, knowing full well Rosalyn's plan to discuss about the idea of marriage.

"That's what Damon said, but he didn't tell me what time or how we're meeting. Do you think that we'll discuss it with his family or just him? I don't mind his mom, but I think his dad is a little scary," Elena admitted.

"Yeah, he's scary all right! And frankly, he doesn't seem to care all that much for his own son. He's all about the business. It's funny, I could almost see John and his father as friends, I mean if John hadn't threatened him for money or ruin his reputation. They're practically made from the same cloth! Luckily, Damon seemed to be more similar to his mother. I'm telling you, Elena, if he wants to marry you, you should just accept it! I can just imagine all the sex you'd have. I'll bet he can charm your panties off just by a look with his pretty blue eyes. If I wasn't having a crush on his friend Alaric, I'll probably still be at his house right now, trying to get his rocks off!"

"Jenna! God, can't you act like an adult for once? Jeez, good night!" Elena abruptly turned her body to face the window and turned off the side table lamp before lying completely still, pretending to fall asleep. In truth, she laid there for hours, thinking over what Damon said, and what Jenna said, not about getting his rocks off, but about accepting Damon's help. He was right; their lives were about to change forever, and they were about to be parents. She sighed inwardly as she thought about the meeting tomorrow. She'll be nicer to him, she thought to herself. After all, he was just trying to help her. With that, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep and exhausted sleep.

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door at ten a.m. the next morning. Both ladies stirred from their deep slumber and decided to ignore it. A few seconds later, the knocks repeated, this time accompanied by a female voice, "Special delivery for a Ms. Elena Gilbert."<p>

Hearing that, Elena sat up straight on the bed, her hair in a tangled mess. She turned to look over at Jenna, who fell back to sleep, drooling a little. She stretched and yawned widely while she slowly made her way to the door that was once again, being subjected to another round of loud knockings. Elena hurriedly unlatched the door and swung the door open to reveal a blonde woman who was smiling broadly, her arms filled with numerous paper bags.

Without waiting for an invitation, the smiling blonde made her way inside the suite and immediately unloaded her bags onto the sofa before she turned back around to look at the startled brunette.

"Hi! You must be Elena. I am Caroline Forbes, but you can call me Care. Damon sent me over to tell you that he bought some clothes for you and your aunt, and that you should get ready and changed by noon. He'll be here to pick you both up and you'll be having lunch over at the mansion with his parents. I assume that lump over there on the bed is your aunt Jenna?" the exuberant blonde said as she made her way to the windows and smoothly pulled back the curtains, letting the bright sun light up the entire room. Jenna jolted up from the bed in a quick reflex and dove into the unlit bathroom.

"Wow, I've never seen anyone fly before, that was great!" Caroline applauded.

"Who-who are you?" Jenna managed to ask after finally managing to crack open one eye to peer out of the bathroom at the blonde girl.

"I'm Caroline Forbes, close family friend of the Salvatores. I come bearing gifts, courtesy of Damon Salvatore. And by the way, in case you didn't already know, he has superb taste in clothes, especially women's. Come see!" she declared excitedly as she made her way back to the mountains of paper bags.

"We have dresses, skirts, tops, accessories, shoes, handbags and underwear," Caroline announced as she pulled out item after item in the order she told them. "Oh, and toiletries and make-up! Great, Care, how could I forget something as important as make-up?" she rolled her eyes at herself, as if it was some deadly sin that she had just committed.

"Umm, Caroline? Are these all for us? I can't afford to pay for them, so can you take them all back?" Elena said hesitatingly, her eyes glued to the various articles of clothing, all gorgeous and obviously from designer labels, if their paper bags were any indication.

"Nonsense, Elena! These are gifts from Damon, ergo, no payment required from you and no returning of goods!"

"Why can't we return them?" Elena asked, wondering if they had belonged to somebody else, and it was just a loan for them until they were able to return home to pack a suitcase.

"Because Damon said so, of course. He called me last night and asked me to pick up some items for you and your aunt, so I woke up the Outlet Manager of Saks on Fifth Avenue this morning, and I went to pick out a few items from them and now here I am! Now, why don't you go shower and get ready while I put together some stuff for you to wear for the luncheon. Trust me, I am _great_ at this. I'll even do your make-up!" she gave an excited little leap and clapped her hands together like a little girl.

Almost two hours later, and after what felt like ten hours of serious non-stop chatter by the blonde lady, both Elena and Jenna were ready. Jenna was dressed in a executive-type of dress, dark grey, sleeveless, vee-neck, pencil skirt that came to just below her knees and a black belt around her slender waist. Elena had on an aquamarine-coloured, flowy, one-shouldered top paired with a white short skirt that accentuated her tiny waist and showed off her long legs to perfection. Her hair was gathered to the side, held together with a crystal clasp, giving her a simple but glamorous look. Her make-up was done tastefully, perfectly applied by the sure hands of Caroline.

"All done! You like?" Caroline asked with her head tilted to the side, as if daring them to answer negatively.

"Elena, you look amazing! Honestly, I've never seen you look so beautiful! Damon would not be able to take his eyes off you!" Jenna gushed.

"Caroline, umm, she didn't mean that! Don't be silly, why would Damon be looking at me? He's engaged to Katherine!" Elena quickly deflected, shaking her head at Jenna, feeling embarrassed to see Caroline's gaze on her.

"Why not? I'm a girl and I can't take _my_ eyes off you! Besides, he might not be engaged to her anymore after this. You never know, he might take one look at you and forget about the bitch completely! Cross your fingers!" Caroline exclaimed, seemingly unaffected by Jenna's remark. "Now that we're all ready, let's go down and wait at the lobby for Damon. He should be here by now," she said as she glanced down at her watch and like the whirlwind she was when she arrived, she smiled widely at the other two women and disappeared out the door, leaving a mess of unworn clothes and other stuff behind her.

"Who _is_ she?" Jenna whispered quizzically at Elena.

"An extremely talkative and hyper-active fairy-godmother?" Elena took a wild guess and giggled at her aunt's expression as she pulled Jenna's hand along with her out the door.

* * *

><p>Damon stood at the lobby with his back to the elevators as he waited to see his future wife. After his talk with his mother last night, he felt that he was finally doing the right thing by marrying Elena, the mother of his unborn child. He tossed and turned the whole night, letting his mind wander and imagine a life with her; laughing with each other, cooking with each other, drinking wine as they lay together in front of the fireplace, hands linked with each other's. When he woke up this morning, he felt a foreign feeling that he hasn't felt for a long time; happiness. He actually found himself excited to see her again today, and knowing that if all goes according to plan, he would be engaged to her, the woman he can't seem to move on from after one magical night together. This was all a little too silly; here he was, a grown man, an Executive Director and future CEO of a company, having a school boy crush on a woman almost six years his junior.<p>

"Damon?" her soft voice behind him pulled him back to the present. He stiffened when he turned around and saw her, looking like a polished lady in her designer ensemble, no doubt put together by the great Caroline Forbes, his almost god-sister. He'd now seen her in three different attires, and he had to admit that she looked the best _now_, standing in front of him. Correction: he'd seen her in _four_ attires; he forgot about the towel she was wrapped in when he bumped into her after her shower in Ric's apartment. Yes, this was a close second, after the towel look.

"You look stunning!" he managed to gasp out breathlessly, his voice sounded strange, even to himself.

"Th-thank you," she smiled back shyly, feeling oddly pleased by his reaction.

"Yes, thank you, Damon, for all the clothes and loads of other stuff. It was extremely sweet of you to consider our lack of luggage and clothes," Jenna piped in, reluctantly pulling Damon's gaze away from Elena.

"Ms. Sommers! Why, you look wonderful too! Beauty must run in your family," Damon gushed, making the woman blush.

"I doubt that, it doesn't explain why John looks more like a toad than human," she answered drily as Damon gave a deep chuckle at her quip.

"I hope you don't mind, but we're having lunch at the mansion. Our discussion may be too delicate to be held in public. Shall we?" he asked as he held out his arm towards Elena, who took it immediately without hesitating.

"Damon, I hate to ask you, but I wonder if you could do me a favour?" she waited until he nodded. "I need to check my e-mail for news from my college regarding my scholarship application, so do you think I can just pop up somewhere to check if their reply had come in yet? I don't think that I can sit through lunch without knowing the outcome. I'd be too nervous for that," she told him as he opened the car doors for her and Jenna.

"Of course," he answered without hesitating as he closed both doors after the ladies had settled into their car seats, Elena seated in front next to him. When he climbed in his seat, he took his phone out from his pocket and gave it to her.

"Here, you can use my phone to check your e-mail. It's already connected to the Internet. Just pull up the mail site, key in your username and password, and it will automatically load all your e-mails for you in a few moments," he instructed as the car engine roared to life. She was still trying to figure out his phone when his car went zooming past the city heading for the outskirts where the family mansion was located. A few minutes later, their car was pulling into the long and now-familiar driveway to the mansion, when Elena finally found the e-mail she had been waiting for. It took a few more seconds for the mail to load, and when it did, her eyes scanned down the small screen as her heart slowly sank down to her stomach. Her last hope was gone.

After pulling up to the front of the house, Damon killed the engine and turned to look at Elena. His brows narrowed with concern, when he saw her face paled and her heartbroken expression.

"Elena? What's wrong? Didn't you get it?" he asked worriedly.

She shook her head mutely, unable to bring herself to speak. Jenna leaned forward from the backseat and reached out a hand to pat Elena's shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I really thought you had it," Jenna said in a small voice.

"Yeah, well...when it rains, it pours, doesn't it?" Elena replied casually, though her tone suggested that she felt anything but. She took a deep breath and let herself out of the car, wanting to get the lunch over with so that she can react appropriately at the disappointment she was feeling now. But, she didn't want to break down in front of Damon and his family.

Damon quickly got out of the car and walked around it to grab her shoulders to turn her around to face him, "Elena, do you need a minute to yourself? We can wait a few minutes," he offered, his eyes searching her face for signs of her being upset but he couldn't find any. She had her wall right up, and there was no way in.

"I'm fine. I expected it, so no harm done. Let's go have lunch," with that she whirled around and entered through the front doors, held open by a staff. Jenna and Damon exchanged a worried look and then went in after Elena.

Damon led them into the dining room, and was immediately greeted warmly by Rosalyn, who seemed genuinely pleased to see Elena and Jenna again, while Giuseppe looked pleasantly surprised to see both ladies garbed elegantly in designer wear, he still only managed to grunt and nodded curtly at them. After his father's somewhat rude greeting, Damon introduced them to the only other person allowed to join in the intimate luncheon, his younger brother Stefan.

Stefan gave a friendly smile and held out his hand to Jenna first, then Elena, who seemed surprised to be met with genuine warmth and openness in his gaze.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you both. I heard you were both here last night, I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you then," he said to both ladies, his tone light and pleasant.

"Shall we sit down? Lunch will be served momentarily," Rosalyn announced in her normal formal tone, and for a second, Elena wondered if she ever got mad enough to scream and shout, or if she's normally this composed all the time. She found herself wishing that she never had to find that out for herself.

The six people seated in the lavish dining room made small talks as the meals were served, and Elena was grateful that the they had obviously planned ahead to bring out the heavy discussions only after they had finished lunch. This put her somewhat at ease and she was able to enjoy the meal a little bit while the conversation turned from trivial matters to hilarity as the brothers ended up teasing each other by bringing up embarrassing moments of one another's. Soon they were all laughing loudly, even the grumpy Giuseppe as Stefan regaled the two visitors with tales of Damon's childhood, particularly one where Damon had his first crush.

"This was told to me by our nanny at the time. When my brother was in the third grade, he had his first crush on a beautiful girl named Lily. He would pick flowers from our garden everyday and bring them to class for her, and he would write anonymous letters that he'd seal in an envelope addressed to her name. One day, there was a school dance and so Damon practiced his dance steps for hours in front of the mirror. He worked so hard on it until finally, he was ready. So, he dressed up in his formal attire, with his hair combed in side-parting. He was so excited to dance with his dream girl, that he had to go to the bathroom a few times to pee. Then, the moment soon came when he saw his crush standing by the punch alone for the first time, and he gathered his courage to corner her and asked her to dance," Stefan paused dramatically as the three ladies kept their eyes on him, all enraptured by his storytelling skills.

"She turned him down because he was too short for her," Stefan finished with a broad smile.

"Too short? How tall were you?" Jenna burst out, unable to believe any woman would turn him down, regardless of height difference.

"Oh, I was tall for a third grader, but she was taller. Ah, it was for the best anyway, our love wouldn't have lasted for even a day. We didn't have _anything_ in common," Damon shrugged casually.

"Of course you didn't have anything in common; she was your third grade teacher! She was thirty-eight years old _and_ you referred to her as Mrs. Lily Evans. Her husband was the school bus driver! He would have beaten you to a pulp if he knew that you were hitting on his wife who was twenty nine years older than you," Stefan chuckled as the rest of the table burst out in laughter.

"In my defence, she didn't look a day over thirty. It was her eyes; they sparkled and glowed, so full of life," Damon sighed dramatically.

"Of course they glowed! You were reflecting the sun with a little sharpener with the mirror behind it into her eyes, trying to attract her attention!" Stefan snorted.

"But it worked! It _did_ attract her attention, she came to talk to me," Damon insisted indignantly.

"She went to _confiscate_ your sharpener from you, and sent you to detention!" Stefan volleyed right back, laughing hysterically.

"Where we spent an extra hour every day, all alone in that great big classroom, gazing at one another," Damon chuckled, enjoying the sight of the giggling Elena who was slumped forward in her seat, her shoulders shaking with mirth.

"If I'm not mistaken, you were caught ogling at her with drool dripping from the corners of your mouth while she tried to avoid your gaze by facing the opposite wall," Stefan said, effectively bursting his brother's bubble.

"Po-tay-to, po-tah-to, same difference!" Damon muttered.

"Oh I remember now, was she the teacher who asked me if you were mentally unstable during the parent-teacher conference?" Rosalyn voiced out, her face red from laughing so hard.

"I suppose it was," Damon admitted as the table erupted into another loud chorus of laughter, Elena's twinkling laughter stood out from the rest for him. Perhaps it was because he had never really heard her laugh out loud, or because he knew that his humiliating stories made her forget her troubles for the moment. He made a mental note to thank his brother later.

The jovial mood carried on for the rest of the meal until Giuseppe announced that it was time for them to carry on with their discussion. Apparently that was the cue for Stefan to leave, and so he stood up and pressed a good-natured kiss to his mother's cheek, a friendly slap on the back to his older brother and shook hands with Elena and Jenna. He made his exit after he made a formal bow to his father as a sign of respect.

The atmosphere changed drastically as soon as Stefan left the room, and nobody spoke for a few moments. Giuseppe cleared his throat loudly and then with his keen business-approach, he forged ahead and went in for the kill.

"Ms. Gilbert, after our discussion with your father yesterday evening, we have come to a decision. We have come up with a solution that enables all of us to gain something from each other, like mutual benefits. Our deal is very simple; you agree to marry my son for the exact period of one year, after that which you will divorce, where you will receive a cash settlement of one million dollars in your name, which you can decide to spend it however you want. In return, Damon will have full custody of your child and you can be free to go to college, or have your own business and go on with your life, unburdened by the presence of a child to disrupt your young life. Is that agreeable?" Giuseppe asked, fully expecting her to thank him for his generosity.

Elena felt as if she'd been slapped as she heard the words leaving his mouth. Damon winced internally as he heard his father's cold and hard approach to the situation and braced himself for a strong reaction from Elena. He wasn't wrong, nor did he have to wait long.

"You want me to what?" she burst out screaming, her eyes wide as saucers. "You actually think that I will give up my baby to you for that kind of money? In short, you're trying to _buy_ my baby! What kind of people _are_ you anyway?" she looked around her angrily until her gaze met Damon's.

"You! Was it your idea? What did I ever do to you that you'd want to hurt me like this?" she asked Damon, who looked at her with a tortured look in his eyes.

"Ms. Gilbert, you should be happy that we're offering you this deal. If it weren't for your father threatening to expose the entire situation to the press and the public, calling my son a cheater and a rapist, I wouldn't be sitting here with you now. Other girls would be jumping for joy that we're willing to let you join our family and bear our Salvatore name, to give you and your child a formal place in society. Not only are you ungrateful, you're not even being reasonable! You're pregnant and alone, your own father doesn't want anything to do with you, you have no money, no future, not anything, and here you sit, acting all high and mighty when we're offering you a way out of your pitiful state!" Giuseppe yelled back, his eyes flashing with anger at the thought of an opponent daring to reject his offer.

"You're absolutely right! I have nothing! Nothing but my pride and my own two hands. No, as long as I am able, I will work and I will do everything that I can to make sure that my baby is cared for. I don't care what it takes!" she declared, looking like an avenging angel as she slowly stood up, looking down her nose at Giuseppe.

"And how _dare_ you pity me! I pity _you_! You may think that being rich is the answer to all problems, but you're wrong! You can be rich and miserable, knowing that the people around you liked you only for your money, not for yourself. Or you can be poor and happy, knowing that the people you love, loves you back because they want to, not because they have to. If I give up my baby, he will never know how much I loved him because he will think that I abandoned him, that he was unwanted by his own mother," Elena said vehemently, her chests rising and falling heavily.

"Bravo, Elena, bravo," Rosalyn said quietly, shooting a disappointed look at her husband, who was rendered speechless by a mere slip of a girl, the first time ever of such an occurrence. "My dear, you are absolutely right. Please excuse my husband; he seems to think that this is a business acquisition rather than a discussion on the best interest of the child. What my husband lacked in finesse in his delivery of speech, he actually meant well. I understand how you feel, Elena. And my heart reaches out for you in this unforeseen circumstance that brings our two families together. From what I have observed yesterday and your passionate speech just now, I know that you are a strong woman who is fiercely loyal with an enormous capacity to love. And it is those traits of yours that I admire greatly, rarely found in someone so young. But you have had a tough life, and you have handled yourself admirably so far, showing me that you're matured beyond your years.

And now, I shall implore you to think about this for a second. Suppose you have the baby on your own, suppose you managed to bring the baby up as a single mother, and your child grows up, wondering about his father. What are you going to tell him? That his father abandoned him as a child, that he wasn't loved by him? You know that those two things are not true. Suppose he asked you why his father is not in his life? Will you tell him that it was you who turned his father away because of pride? What about the child's last name? Will you name him Salvatore or Gilbert? Will you deprive him of what's rightfully his if he became a Salvatore? What about Damon? Will you deprive him of getting to know his own child, to hold him in his arms and teach him everything as he grows up? Elena, I know you're angry, but be angry at the situation, not at the people who are trying to help you to provide the best possible care for your baby.

We offer you and the baby, who is our grandchild, a home, a family and our protection against the outsiders who will call you and your child all kinds of names if you don't choose to be a part of our family. Allow the baby to be born into a real family, and if after one year, if things don't work out between you and Damon, and if you separate, you can both have joint-custodies. At least your child will still have a mother and a father in his life. It's different for a child of divorce than a child without either parent. You should know that better than anyone of us. At least this way, you don't have to worry about medical expenses and everything the baby needs to grow up in a secure and loving environment. Don't think of the money as a transaction, think of it as a financial security for yourself and the child. It is entirely justifiable to give you that money since Damon is the father, and as the father, he should provide for his family.

Now you think about it for a moment and talk it over with Damon, while we give you some privacy to collect your thoughts. I hope that you will make the right decision for all of you," Rosalyn said kindly as she patted Elena's hand maternally, and left the room with her husband behind her. Jenna stood up and hung back until they were out of ear shot.

"Elena, she's right you know? If you want to do what's best for the baby, then that's the only way to protect everyone. If your father does what he threatened to do, it would hurt Damon too, and he didn't do anything wrong in this. I hope you'll give it a chance to work out. But it's your choice. If you turn them down, then Jeremy and I will be here for you. I can quit studying and find a full-time job, and help out with the baby. Jeremy will finish school soon, so he can also find some part-time jobs that can help with the bills. We'll live simply, but with sacrifices, we'll make it," Jenna said gently before turning to walk out of the room, knowing that Elena would never allow Jeremy and her to give up their studies for her. At times like these, her psychology major really helps! Words like 'sacrifice' and 'quit' would push a person like Elena to accept the marriage offer, if not for herself, then for Jenna and Jeremy so as not to burden them with her problems.

Damon remained silent throughout the whole thing, uncertain as to how she would react. His mother should win some kind of award for best speech or something, because he was swayed himself. When his father made the offer, he wanted to pour acid in his ears just so that he can stop listening. Elena sank back down on the seat and slowly lifted her eyes to his. He knew they had won the moment his gaze met hers, there were no more fights left in her, she had accepted the fact that she was marrying him, he noted with relief.

"If we do this, can we work out some terms and conditions?" Elena asked quietly.

"Sure, like what?" Damon replied, imagining himself doing the happy dance at that moment.

"I want the joint-custody thing in writing, also the visitation rights and such. I also get to name the baby," she said.

"Okay, done."

"Since this is a marriage of convenience, we will maintain a platonic relationship, meaning we'll sleep in separate beds," she added.

"Umm...separate beds, check."

"Do you need to write this down?" her eyes narrowed with suspicion that he wasn't taking this seriously.

"Trust me, Elena, I think I would remember not having sex for one year!" he retorted sarcastically. She almost smiled.

"We'll split the costs of everything we spent on during the one year equally, to be deducted from the cash settlement I'd get at the end of that one year," she said.

"No! Whatever we spend on will be part of my monthly allowance for you and for the house. If I'm to be your husband, then it's my duty to provide my family with a comfortable home, so no," he said, shaking his head firmly.

"Okay, how about whatever you spend on the house and the baby is on you, but whatever you spend on me, whether or not it's in an allowance or things you buy for me, including the clothes you had Caroline Forbes buy this morning will be deducted accordingly," she countered stubbornly.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Damon asked, recognizing her stubborn look.

"Nope."

"Then agreed, for the exception of presents I'll buy for you on birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day, New Year's Day and...Independence day. Oh, and Easter!" Damon listed out of the top of his head.

"Why would you buy me a present for Independence Day or Easter?" she wondered in confusion.

"It doesn't matter. Agreed or not?" he asked impatiently, thinking of buying a house for her own if they get divorced, and a car for her own use later on.

"Okay, agreed with great reluctance!"

"You have to wear other colours besides black from now on. It's depressing and reminds me of my parents' funeral," she said, knowing she was pushing her luck a little, but she wanted to see when he'd cave.

"But I _like_ black. I look good in black!" he said defensively, looking down on his own attire.

_Yeah you do_, she thought to herself. "Wear some blue, and white, or I'll start burning your clothes and buy you plaids and flannels," she threatened.

"You're not the boss of me!" he told her defiantly.

"Oh yeah, then who is? You?"

"No. My mother is, but she'll probably agree with you, so agreed," he sighed in defeat, feeling amused for some reason. "What else you've got? Huh?" throwing the question like a challenge, holding his fists up in front of his face like a boxer.

"Oh, I have lots. When my craving starts kicking in, you have to buy _whatever_ food I want, _whenever_ I want, even if it's like four in the morning," she finished triumphantly.

"In other words, I'll hire you a personal assistant. Next!" Damon deflected.

"Hey! You cheated! But okay, I got a good one, once the baby is born, you have to do half the milk and diaper duties, even waking up in the middle of the night. We'll alternate between you and me," she lifted up an eyebrow, daring him to disagree.

"Oh great, I don't mind pulling diaper duties but I really must put my foot down if you ask me to start lactating through my nipples!" his serious tone made her shriek in laughter, as she imagined him sitting on a rocking chair, breastfeeding the baby.

"Fair enough," she conceded, still chuckling to herself.

"Is all this necessary to be included in the betrothal contract? Because _some_ of it is getting ridiculous."

"Actually I was perfectly serious about the first few ones, before the black colour clothes, but hey, since you agreed to everything, then by all means. In fact I'm quite curious to see the words 'lactating through Damon's nipples' printed out in black and white on the contract," she smiled innocently.

"You would! Anyway, the way you asked me, it was as if you'd call off the entire deal if I don't agree to everything you say," he commented on his observation.

"Yes, that's why I think that _I'll_ be the one wearing the pants in our relationship," she teased.

"And I'll be the one wearing a skirt and breastfeeding the baby. That's just great! What the hell am I getting myself into? This whole marriage is turning me into a wuss," he grumbled.

"Seriously, are your parents forcing you to get married? Because if you're not comfortable, then we could just-"

"Believe me when I tell you that this marriage came at an opportune time. You kinda saved me from a loveless marriage. I-I didn't want to marry Katherine; it was more like my father's wish. So, this marriage thing saved me too," he admitted to her.

"But what's the difference? You're just going from one loveless marriage to _another_ loveless marriage, aren't you?"

"It's different with you. For one thing, I actually _like_ you. And we'd both love our baby. We might even end up loving each other platonically," he grinned, noticing how her face fell a little when he mentioned 'loving her platonically'.

"Okay, then I guess we're getting married! Yippie-Ka-Yay..." Elena scoffed, feeling sad all of a sudden. She couldn't believe that her first marriage had failed even before it began.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, who was the person who asked for the longer chapter? This is all your fault! I've been writing and writing for the past ten hours and now my back is aching, the words are swimming in front of my eyes, and my wrists are sore from all the typing. Here you go, more than 9600 words for you to read. Happy now? <strong>

**There was also a request for some action (I take it to mean smut) but it didn't make sense for Delena to engage in some naughty loving now, it doesn't gel with the story. So, unless you want me to write some Giuseppe/Rosalyn action, then I'm sorry that I could not accommodate. Plus, it would freak me out that Damon's father would be capable of any loving interactions.**

**Okay, be good and press that little button below (no, not your own belly button, that's just sick and doesn't do anything for me!) and make my LONG CHAPTER worth it! **

**p.s. I may be a little drunk **


	7. Chapter 7

**I should probably drink and write more often! 22 reviews for Chapter 6 are beyond amazing! **

**I'm also glad and touched that so many of you love Rosalyn; she's an interesting character to write! And of course, who doesn't love the lovely and slightly neurotic Caroline?**

**Enjoy Chapter 7!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: The Planning<strong>

Elena sat next to Damon in his parents' study room, feeling like a small child being sent to detention. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the pacing figure in front of her and she exchanged worried and slightly terrified looks with her 'fiancée' who was sitting up straight, at full attention, also staring at the same muttering figure.

"_Of course_ I can pull it off!" the woman had exclaimed. "I'm Caroline Forbes! I'm _nothing_ if not efficient and adept at pulling off a function at a moment's notice! So what if I had to plan the wedding-of-the-century in _three_ weeks? Piece of cake! Now, if Mama Rosa had said _two_ weeks, _then_ I'd be worried. But three weeks, I mean, come on! I could plan the royal wedding in three weeks! That's like...twenty one days!" she burst out as she whirled around to stand in front of the couple who immediately leaned back into their seat with worried looks in their eyes.

"Okay, now if we're gonna do this, we have to do it right! That means that we have to finalize on the venue, the caterer, the band and the guests list in two days. Then we'll have to get the invites printed, the wedding gown fitted, wedding cake ordered and the florist confirmed within the week. Groom!" she snapped at Damon who literally jumped up from his seat when she addressed him, "Can I trust you to pick out your own tux and your best man's?"

"Sir, yes, sir! I–I mean ma'am, yes, ma'am! I already have a few tuxedos lying around, but who's my best man again?" Damon asked in confusion.

"Don't you know? _I've_ known for a while! It's Stefan, your own brother?" the blonde pointed out as if it was so obvious.

"Okay, but what about Ric? He's my best friend and I don't wanna leave him out of it," he told her.

"Fine, you get to have _two_ best men, but _no_ recycled tuxedos. Go get a new one for yourself and for your best men. Okay, now rings, have you picked them out yet?" Caroline asked as she made little notes on her notepad.

"No, Care, I _just_ found out that I was getting married yesterday! Jeez, it's not like I carry around rings to propose to everybody!" Damon rolled his eyes.

"Technically, you proposed to your _ex_-fiancée, but not to _this_ one," Caroline pointed her thumb to Elena in her usual blunt manner.

"Fine! Elena, will you marry me?" he slid his gaze sideways at his pregnant fiancée and reached out his right hand to push her head forward into a forced nod. "There, she accepted, done!"

"How romantic, not! Okay, so you go pick out the rings by...tomorrow. Bring Stefan or Ric along to help you out," she scribbled some more on the notepad as she turned her attention to Elena.

"Bride!" she barked out, "Maid of honour?"

"Bonnie, my best friend," Elena gulped, feeling as if she was in a police interrogation room.

"Excellent! You and me, venue-hunting tomorrow! Wear comfy shoes," she ordered.

"I can't! I have classes," Elena blurted out, feeling nervous at the sudden silence in the room as Caroline's face looked like it was about to explode.

"What. Did. You. Say?" she bit out through her teeth.

"I said I have classes, full days every Tuesdays through Thursdays, and half days on Fridays, every week. So I'm only free on weekends to Mondays. Does that work for you?" Elena asked timidly, afraid to find out the answer.

"Does that work-No! Elena, we have three-freaking-weeks to plan an entire wedding from scratch, and you'd be missing _four_ days of every week?" Caroline's voice had raised a few octaves higher by now. "This is not happening, tell me this is _not_ happening!" she muttered under her breath with her eyes closed and her fingers rubbing her temple.

"Damon, say something!" she exclaimed.

"Uhh Elena, Care's right, we don't have much time to put together a whole wedding, and I have to work while I look for a house so that we'll have a place to stay after we get married, so I'm thinking that you hold off college until after the baby gets here," Damon said softly to her.

"I c-can't just _quit_ college! I just started! Besides, what am I going to do in the mean time? Just stay at home and _be_ pregnant? I'll be bored out of my mind!" Elena insisted.

"But you've been having morning sickness everyday and that will only get worse as you approach the second trimester. And you'll probably be tired and need plenty of rest. Besides, you'll be plenty busy helping to plan the wedding and you can decorate the house, do up the nursery and read some pregnancy books. By the time you do all that, you would have had the baby already, and then you can go back to college," Damon advised wisely, sounding like he was so well-versed in the stages of pregnancies.

"I-I guess I could do that, but if I get bored, then you'll have to find something to do _with_ me," Elena reluctantly agreed, completely unaware of how Damon's mind immediately conjured up _several_ perverted ways to occupy her time _with_ him.

"Now that _that's_ settled, so Elena, tomorrow?" Caroline asked as she promptly returned to the matter at hand.

"Well, even if I'm quitting, I still have to go there and fill up some paper works and discuss with my professors how this will affect my schedule for next year. Please give me one day, Caroline, just one more day to settle some things. I promise I'll be all yours on Wednesday," Elena pleaded.

"Ughh, fine! I hate it when pregnant women beg with their big wide eyes, it makes it _that_ much harder to be mean to them," Caroline sighed dramatically. "I guess I can go venue-hunting by myself since I already have a few places in mind. Okay, that's settled. On Wednesday, Elena and I will go look at some wedding gowns, and if we're done early, we'll also go look at some wedding cake designs. Oh, there's so much to do and so little time! I don't suppose the both of you want to go check out the caterers and the band today, would you?" her eyes drifted from Elena to Damon and back again as she waited for their reaction.

"No!" both of them objected in unison, and then swallowed back a smile as they sneaked a peek at each other.

"I have to break up with Katherine and her father later," Damon explained and then realised how peculiar that sounded when said in front of his fiancée.

"And I have to help Jenna move all my stuff over from my house to the hotel. Also, she's got a date later, so I have to help her get ready, and by helping, I meant sitting there listening to her gush about what a babe your friend Alaric is," Elena related to Damon with a grin.

"Well, good luck with that!" Damon wished her.

"Yeah, same to you, too, on the whole break-up thing," Elena gestured with her thumbs up, just as Stefan strolled in.

"Hey, so how's the wedding planning going?" he enquired by way of greeting.

"Stefan!" Caroline whirled around to greet him enthusiastically as she beamed at him. "Hey, are you free now?" she asked hopefully.

"Umm, I have a few things to plan for the fundraiser, but what's up?" he was referring to a fundraising event he had planned for the Stefan Salvatore Foundation, his passion and full-time job.

"Oh, I thought you might like to accompany me to be a food connoisseur for the day, followed by an evening of excellent musical performances," Caroline said in a dreamy voice.

"Wow, food and music, my two favourite things! Then I am _free_ as a bird. When do we leave? Do I have to change into something formal?" he looked down at his casual outfit, feeling excited to be spending what sounded like a romantic evening with Caroline.

"No, you're absolutely perfect the way you are! We're leaving now; we have to get to the caterer's in half an hour's time!" and with that Caroline waved at Damon and Elena distractedly and pulled Stefan's arm along with her out the door as he turned back to Damon with a bewildered expression on his face as he mouthed, "Caterers?"

Damon chuckled as the two of them left the room and turned back to see Elena's thoughtful expression as she kept her gaze on the door they just left through.

"What is it? Don't mind her; she has _always_ been that abrupt and exuberant. She's the complete opposite of my brother! Perhaps that's why he has been secretly in love with her all these years," he smirked.

"Mmmm, I have a feeling the feeling's mutual. Didn't you notice the way she lit up as soon as he entered the room?"

"Really? _Caroline_? I don't think so. She's too high-spirited to be attracted to a boring old-fogy like my brother. Besides, we've all known each other since we were in diapers. Don't you think that if it _could_ have happened, then it _should_ have already?" he asked.

"Maybe not, sometimes it takes a while for two people to fall in love. It has to be at the right time and at the right place before anything may ever happen. I think they'd make a cute couple, like they'd bring out the best out of each other," she smiled.

"Like _we_ did?" he realised that he actually said those words aloud the moment her eyes widened with shock onto his own. "Umm, I meant, when we met by chance at that bar. It was purely coincidental how we ended up sitting next to each other at a bar that _neither_ of us frequent. I was there that day because I was staying over at Ric's apartment just down the road and I didn't want to drive to his place drunk. And you were there obviously because you just found out the worst news you've ever gotten and you decided to wear the most uncomfortable pair of shoes _ever_. We met purely by chance, like you said, at the right place and at the right time. Some people might call that fate."

She looked genuinely caught off-guard at his statement, but she just shrugged her shoulders and avoided his penetrating blue eyes. "Umm," she cleared her throat awkwardly, "when are you meeting Katherine?"

"In two hours. I can help you move your stuff from your old house if you want. I don't really want you to be in the same postcode as John Gilbert, let alone the same house! Besides, I'll admit I'm kinda curious to see what your bedroom looks like. I'll bet it's all girly, and filled with Barbie dolls and teddy bears," he teased, anxious to move them past the awkwardness of his earlier statement.

"I _don't_ have Barbie dolls and teddy bears! Okay, just the one bear given to me by my mother a few years ago, but that's it! I don't have anything girly in my bedroom at all! Just a bed, a side table, a dresser and a chest of drawers, all in white. It's very cosy and soothing, although it didn't feel as much at home now as it did before my parents died," she sighed heavily as her heart tugged at the ever-present pain at the thought of how much she had lost.

"Don't worry about John; Jenna said he took off since he left the mansion on Saturday and hasn't seen him till now. He's probably laying low, plotting revenge on us, but he'll likely return once he hears about the wedding. Umm, you said earlier that you were looking for a house for us to live in after we get married. I thought we're living here with your parents?"

"_God_, no! And please don't say things like that in front of my mother! She would love for me to move back in with her, but I can't stand to stay here with my father. It's bad enough that I see him all week at the office, but if we were to live together, then an apocalypse might come sooner than we thought. I moved out when I was sixteen and I have my own apartment in town, not that far away from Ric's place, actually," Damon's eyes narrowed into a frown as he thought of something.

"Wait, you have your own apartment? So, then why do you have to look for a house? Can't we just live in your current place?"

"Errr, no, because Katherine lives there now. And besides, it's not a suitable place to bring up a baby in, so I thought why not get a house? We could use the extra space and have a nice nursery for little Junior here. I've always loved to have a grand kitchen where we can cook up a storm and have gourmet meals at home. Do you want to go house-hunting with me? I'd appreciate your opinion since you're going to be living there too," he said, hoping that she'd skip past the whole Katherine living in his apartment issue. It would be hard to come up with an excuse for not kicking her out of his place, no matter how much he wanted to. But he had to keep up appearances to Katherine and her father that his marriage was temporary and he intended to marry Katherine after his divorce is final.

"Not really, it's _your_ house, so _you_ make the decisions. I'm sure whichever house you pick will be fine. Are you going to sell off the apartment, then? I mean once you break off with her, then she'd move out, won't she?" she studied his face carefully, her gut feeling telling her that there was more to what he was telling her about Katherine and him.

"I-I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with the apartment. If she still needs a place to stay, then I probably won't sell, until she's found her own place to move into. I may not marry her, but she's still a family friend. Besides, her father and mine are business partners, so I wouldn't want to ruffle any feathers. Anyway, shouldn't you be meeting Jenna soon? Are you sure you won't need any help with the packing?"

"Umm, no, thank you. We'll be fine. Jenna's supposed to be here to fetch me by now. I'll just give her a call and wait for her. I-I'll see you later," she told him simply and escaped from the room to collect her thoughts, leaving Damon behind to heave a sigh of relief.

He hated lying to her about his relationship with Katherine but he didn't want to burden her with his business troubles since she was already dealing with so much already. In fact, she has kept her cool throughout the entire wedding planning thing with Caroline even though he knew how freaked out she was that everything was happening so fast. He hoped his mother was right; that along the way, they would fall in love for real and be a real family. Now that he'd found her again, he wondered how he'd be able to let her go again once the year was up. Even now, he realised that he'd started missing her as soon as she walked out of the room.

Man, was he screwed.

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><p>Two hours later, Damon found himself seated next to his father, and directly opposite them were Katherine and Nathan Pierce. The shouting match had already begun, and the Pierces' had <em>just<em> arrived five minutes before. As soon as Giuseppe sat them down and announced the situation to them, two pairs of furious eyes immediately snapped to his face and continued glaring at him since then.

"How _could_ you?" Katherine had screamed in her annoying voice, "Right after our _engagement_ party? How dare you humiliate me in front of every one of Daddy's friends? I'll never be able to show my face anywhere ever again! The press will swarm around me like vultures when they hear of this! They'll think that you dumped me for that mousey chit of a girl! If you _had_ to cheat on me, you could have slept with someone as beautiful as I am or at least of equal social standing! Instead, you knocked up a school girl? That was incredibly stupid of you, not to mention hurtful! How do you explain yourself?"

"Really, Katherine? You wanna play the cheating card? Does Nathan know that we were already broken up when I met Elena? Does your father know _why_ we broke up on that same day?" Damon asked, his eyes flashing with anger at the hypocrisy of her words.

"I walked in on your daughter in _my_ bed with Mason Lockwood!" he addressed Nathan when she didn't respond. "In my own house! And that wasn't the first time, either. She has been sneaking around behind my back with him for about a year already!"

"How-How did you know?" she gasped out.

"I _didn't_ know for sure, but you just confirmed it, didn't you? If you were so brazen enough to bring your lover back to your fiancée's house, then at least be smart and cover it up better. Surely, you must realize that _anyone_ could have witnessed the two of you walking in through the front entrance of the lobby and going up the elevators to _my_ apartment in broad daylight. People talk, Katherine. You should remember _that_, next time," Damon said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Be that as it may, Damon, at least my daughter wasn't stupid enough to get herself pregnant from her indiscretions. What were you thinking, sleeping around without any form of protection? You could have contracted a disease and transferred it to my daughter. That was extremely irresponsible of you, Damon. I must say I'm terribly disappointed in you," Nathan said as he shook his head in dismay.

"For the record, I wasn't sleeping around. It only happened that one time, and the girl was a virgin. If anyone should be worried about diseases, it should be me! I have no idea who else she had sex with while I'm at work or travelling, or even if Mason had AIDS," Damon retorted, sick of having to defend himself to the people who had no qualms about hurting him.

"All right, this discussion is getting out of hand, Nathan. The point I was trying to make with this whole confrontation is that Damon will marry the girl out of duty to her and the baby. This is a marriage of convenience, to legitimize the child so that our family reputation remains intact, and avoid later issues like lawsuits and all that. The girl's father made a lot of threats that we saw no way out of. So Damon will be married for a year until the baby is born, and then they will have a quiet divorce where the child will remain with us. Once the divorce is finalized, then Katherine and Damon can be married as planned. Our two families will be merged and business will go on as usual. We're only delaying the whole thing by one year, and what's a year in the grand scheme of things?" Giuseppe announced with a smile meant to comfort and placate the Pierces.

"A year? What am I supposed to do when you're off being married for a year?" Katherine asked incredulously.

"What you've been doing for the past year, Kat; sleep with Mason Lockwood in my own home! At least _now_, you won't be cheating. Or is that part of the challenge for you? Did you like the danger of being discovered by your own fiancée?" Damon bit out.

"You know what? Screw you! Maybe I _will_ continue to sleep with Mason. At least I know that I'll be satisfied in bed!" she screamed before she stomped out of the room as her father stood up to follow her footsteps.

"Giuseppe, I'm holding you to your word, all right? In one year, Katherine and Damon will be wed and I will not tolerate any other excuses!" with that, Nathan Pierce went after his daughter, leaving Damon and Giuseppe alone.

"Damon-" Giuseppe started to say but was immediately cut off by his son.

"Don't! You've done enough turning my first marriage into a sham, and now you've basically ensured that I be miserable for the rest of my life being married to that selfish bitch in my _second_ marriage. Sometimes, I wonder if you ever loved me as a son!" Damon yelled out, unable to control his temper as he stalked out. For the first time in his life, he got angry enough to give his father a piece of his mind, and he must admit that it felt pretty darn good.

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><p>Over the next few days, Caroline had Damon and Elena both running around looking at the shortlisted venues for the wedding, meeting two different sets of caterers, meeting the band and finalizing the guests list. They finally decided on the wedding dinner to be at The Lighthouse, at Chelsea Piers; a unique waterfront venue with unforgettable views from floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hudson River. It was a breathtaking and romantic location that Elena immediately fell in love with and when Damon heard her sharp intake of breath when she first saw the place, he knew that he had to get it for her. He wanted <em>some<em> parts of the wedding to be real for her, and it was a fairy tale location that girls her age dreamed about. Besides, it made him happy knowing that it was the reason she remained smiling dreamily the rest of the day.

After confirming the location, Caroline dragged them to food tasting sessions where they ate non-stop but in the end, Damon decided on the caterer who served food that made Elena throw-up the least. He figured that it was a wise way to choose between the two equally good ones.

Next, they were whisked off to the florist to make their selection for flowers for the wedding. When Damon caught Elena trying to cover-up her yawns, he made a snap decision and pointed to a few types of flowers without really looking at them. He kept his gaze on Elena's exhausted face with her drooping eyes while Caroline snapped at him for choosing spider lilies as his corsage. Finally, he had enough.

"Care, I _really_ don't care about flowers! I'll tell you what-I'll let you make the executive decisions on whatever flowers you think is suitable and that will be that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get Elena back to her room, as she's mastered the art of sleep-standing while we're here, arguing about flowers!"

Much to Caroline's amazement, she watched Damon marched over to Elena who was swaying on her feet and picked her up in his arms as he made his way to the car, where his chauffer held open the door to the backseat of his limo. Recovering belatedly, Caroline made some adjustments to Damon's earlier choices with the florist, and then proceeded to get in the limo where she found Elena fast asleep on the seat with her head on Damon's lap.

"I'm sorry Damon, I didn't realize how exhausted she was from all the rushing around we did today. Do you think she's sick or something?"

"No, she's just pregnant. Sometimes even _I_ would forget that there's a baby growing inside of her and her body is still adjusting. Try to be more observant, Care; this may be all too much for her to deal with. You may think she's able to handle all this because she acts tough and composed, but she's really just a teenager who was thrust into a whole other life that she's never known before. Try to cut her some slack, will you, Little-Miss-Slave-Driver?" Damon lectured as he stroked her soft hair spread around his thigh, gazing down fondly at the sleeping brunette.

"Careful, Damon. You almost sound like you care for her," Caroline smiled mischievously.

"Maybe I do," came his soft whisper after a lengthy pause.

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><p>The next day, Caroline and Bonnie - who were introduced to each other a few days before and had bonded remarkably well - accompanied Elena to look for her wedding gown. Bonnie had squealed and jumped up and down excitedly when Elena told her about her upcoming nuptials and that she wanted Bonnie to be her Maid of Honor. So, it was with great anticipation that the three ladies walked into the bridal shop to look for Elena's gown and Bonnie's bridesmaid dress.<p>

"Care, will you see if they have a black wedding dress? You know, one that is appropriate for the occasion," Elena had muttered, feeling disgruntled that her first wedding dress that she'd ever wear was for a sham marriage where the bride and groom did not even love each other.

"Don't be silly, Elena. If you wore a black dress, then Damon would have to wear a hot pink tux just so that you don't upstage him!" Caroline volleyed back without breaking a stride. She was awesome that way; nothing much fazed her. Both of the girls knew _exactly_ the whole arrangement between them, and so they didn't put on any show to pretend that this was anything _but_ a year-long union.

"Come on, Elena, you'll only be a first-time bride _once_, and you're marrying into the Salvatore family, so you have to look the part. Now come on, let's find you a dress!" Bonnie encouraged, pulling Elena to the racks of whites and off-whites gowns. After trying out almost thirty different gowns in four hours, they finally managed to narrow it down to two; the first, an elegant slim-fitted gown with all-over lace, a sweetheart neckline with contoured straps that continued to a keyhole back. The natural waistline was accented with a satin band.

"The lace is gorgeous and your boobs look _huge_ in that neckline!" announced an awestruck Caroline.

"I agree, this dress looks amazing on you, Lena," Bonnie said.

"I dunno, it's a nice dress and all, but it makes me look too matured, I think. Could be all the lace," Elena shrugged as she looked at her own reflection.

"Okay, then try the other one again," Caroline ordered, holding out the second option.

This second dress was an ivory chic creation with a slim, A-line gown with soft, romantic details from the waist down to the back of a small train. The strapless bodice had ruched organza and a satin band with Swarovski crystals defining the natural waistline. The ivory tone set off Elena's healthy tanned skin perfectly, looking as if she was glowing.

"I think this is it! It's just _so_ perfect on you, as if it was made just for you," Caroline gushed, her eyes tearing up at the sight of her new friend.

"Hear, hear!" Bonnie gave a wobbly smile as two fat tears slid down her cheeks.

"Oh you guys! You're so sweet!" Elena exclaimed, as she wrapped both girls in a tight group hug right in the middle of the dressing room.

"All right, now we have to find bridesmaid dresses for my girls," she breathed out as they parted from the hug.

"Wait, dresses? Girls? Why didn't you tell me you had a second bridesmaid? Who is she? Why isn't she here?" Caroline demanded, her persona instantly switched to the neurotic wedding planner mode.

"Yes, Caroline. Two bridesmaid. You didn't think I'd let Stefan walk down that aisle alone did you? So, we'll need two dresses for you and Bonnie," Elena grinned broadly.

"Me? Really? I-I-I don't know what to say," Caroline gasped, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Wow, have I rendered the usually glib Caroline Forbes speechless? That must be some kind of record!"

"Shut up," Caroline muttered with a shy smile on her lips, before she enclosed Elena in a bear hug as a thank you. Bonnie giggled as she joined in again.

***.-*.-* .-*.-*.-**

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Damon and Ric were seated in a private room with three security guards stationed at the entrance to the room. In front of them, on a round glass table, was a small briefcase filled with five different items. The net worth of the five items combined was a whopping USD2.8 million dollars. The briefcase was handcuffed to Mr. Belkins, the proprietor of the elegant customized ring design shop. At that moment, Mr. Belkins and his three armed security guards were trying to hold back their amusement at the two gentlemen who were sitting and arguing at the table.

"I'm telling you, Damon, that stone is too big for her dainty finger," Alaric said, pointing to the 8-carat emerald cut ring set in white gold that includes a total of 238 smaller diamonds wrapped around the band.

"Yeah, it's big, but look! It's got all these little diamonds that goes all the way around. She would love that! Girls love bling, Ric! And guess what? Size matters, too," Damon insisted.

"They do, but not ones that threaten to blind them forever!"

"Okay, what about _this_ one? It's smaller," Damon held up a 5-carat Asscher cut diamond set in platinum designed by Neil Lane.

"Yeah that's okay, but I didn't get goosebumps when you proposed with it earlier," Ric recalled.

"All right, so those two are out. I don't really like this oval-cut one with the yellow diamond; it looks like it's dirty. I keep wanting to wipe it clean and make it all sparkly white again!" Damon stared down at the ring in disgust.

"Then _don't_ get that one! There's only two left, so this won't be hard at all. Now which one screams out Elena?" Ric held the remaining two rings up in front of Damon for his inspection.

"Well, I quite like the round one," Damon said hesitatingly, referring to a 5-carat round center stone with micro-paved split-shank band. "But my eyes keep straying back to this one right here." He was pointing to a 4-carat rare Ashoka diamond ring with a radiant cut and micro-paved smaller diamonds halfway round the sides.

"Okay, why don't you try it out on me now?" Ric leaned back and sat up straighter to wait for his 'proposal'.

Damon cleared his throat and held the Ashoka diamond with his thumb and fore-finger, "Elena, will you marry me?"

"Oh my God, yes! Yes, I'll marry you, Damon!" Ric proceeded to hug him tearfully in an expression of utter joy.

"You felt the goosebumps?"

"Oh yeah, I felt it all the way down to my balls! I'm telling you, _this_ is the one, man! I'm _so_ happy!" Ric exclaimed, his voice getting higher in his excitement.

"Finally! Belkins, we'll take this one," Damon beamed at the proprietor as he rang for his shop assistant to enter the private room to proceed with the paper work for the ring.

"Very wise choice, Mr. Salvatore. That ring was designed by William Goldberg, a renowned ring designer who only ever does for A-list celebrities. Your bride will be pleased with your choice," Mr. Belkins said, smiling broadly just as his assistant came in.

"Amanda, these fine gentlemen has chosen the Ashoka diamond radiant cut. Would you please make sure this gets cleaned up properly and prepare the certificate and bill, please? Thank you."

"Of course, Mr. Belkins. And congratulations to you both on your coming nuptials. Have you both decided on the date yet?" Amanda asked, looking casually from Ric to Damon, as if there was nothing wrong with seeing two guys coming in to buy a diamond ring.

"Ummm..." Damon was speechless as he struggled to find the right words to explain his predicament.

"Oh, it's in two weeks," Ric interjected smoothly, putting his arm around Damon's shoulders and pulling him closer. "We just cannot _wait_ to get to our honeymoon right after that! Right, honey?" he bat his eyelashes seductively at his "fiancée".

"Oh right, right, yes, darling. I just cannot wait to have you and that fine body all to myself!" Damon declared, playing along and ran his fingers along Ric's thighs, causing him to giggle loudly and leaned back, effectively dislodging Damon's wandering hand.

"Oh you two are so cute," Amanda said, causing Mr. Belkins to shake his head in disbelief at her gullibility. He was going to have to start hiring smarter people from now on.

Twenty minutes later and USD250,000.00 poorer, Damon and Ric strolled out of the shop with broad smiles on their faces.

"Do me a favor and don't tell my girlfriend about what just happened, won't you?" Ric asked, referring to Jenna, whom he just started to date.

"Only if you swear on your life that you won't tell my _wife_!" Damon countered right back.

"Deal," they both agreed in unison as they shook hands solemnly.

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><p><strong>Silly chapter, I know, but some progression here and there on relationships between Delena, and Caroline and Elena. <strong>

**Let me know if you liked it. Clickety-click on the button below and write away! Appreciate as many details as possible!**

**Review. Review. Review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm thinking the majority of you actually prefer Damon/Ric together than Damon/Elena! **

**This is another silly chapter but with some developments for our major characters. **

**Oh, it's another loooong one, so hope you like it!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: K-I-S-S-I-N-G<strong>

"Damon, I can't see anything! If I slip and fall and break my neck, I promise I'll come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!" Elena threatened as she walked carefully with her eyes covered tightly by Damon's hands.

"Relax, I won't let you fall. It's just that I don't trust that you're not going to peek and I really want you to get the full effect of the house. I think that you'll love it!" Damon promised from close behind her.

"Oh, she will! I mean, with the size of the walk-in-wardrobe in the master bedroom, who wouldn't?" Jenna's voice piped in from somewhere to her left.

"Shh, Jenna! Damon said no details! You're totally spoiling the surprise!" Ric groaned from beside her.

"Jenna!" Elena whined, feeling disgruntled at being the only one kept in the dark, "I can't believe you've seen it and didn't tell me! You're my _aunt_ and you're siding with these clowns over me?"

"Well, I'm _sleeping_ with _this_ clown here, and he made me promise not to tell you anything, or else he won't do the knee pit thing to me _ever_ again," came Jenna's voice, not sounding the least bit regretful to her niece.

"Knee pit? What knee pit thing?" Elena asked curiously.

"Umm...this is neither the time nor the place for that now," Damon cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Do you want to see the house or not? 'Cos my arms are getting tired."

"Yes! Show me," she squealed excitedly. His palms fell away from her eyes and she had to blink a few times to clear the dots that appeared as her future home came into view.

"Damon, it's gorgeous," she gasped in wonder as she studied the white exterior of the double-storey house in front of her. A narrow path led to the front porch of the house, where a set of swing stood at a corner. She made her way up a few steps to the porch and entered hesitantly through the main door to find herself standing in the foyer. On the left side of the foyer was the archway to the living room, where a fireplace stood against the wall directly facing her. The kitchen was a big room with a swinging door, located just ahead of the foyer, behind the staircase. Damon followed her silently into the fully-equipped kitchen, waiting for her reaction to one of his own favourite rooms of the whole house.

"This is amazing," she breathed out, her eyes taking in the large rectangular island topped with black granite, and the L-shaped kitchen base cabinets with a double-bowl sink overlooking the back yard on the left side of the island, and a top ranged gas stove and chimney hood on the right side. The rest of the space was occupied with a built-in oven, a microwave and a stainless steel side-by-side door fridge.

"Where does _this_ go?" Elena asked, indicating a small door slightly hidden in a corner of the room, tucked away behind some tall wine racks.

"Hmm, I don't know, I didn't notice it before. Here, let me check it out," Damon moved in front of her and cautiously slid the door open outwards to find a narrow space under the staircase with rows of shelves lined along the left and right walls, leaving a bare wall facing them.

With Damon now blocking her view of the room, she stood on tip-toes closer to him to peer over his right shoulder. "Why is there a coat closet _inside_ the kitchen?"

"It's not a coat closet, Elena; it's a food larder. This is so cool! I've _always_ wanted a food larder. This house just got _way_ cooler!" Damon exclaimed happily, turning around abruptly, accidently bumping into her. His hands shot out to grab her around the waist to steady her as she stumbled backwards and they both suddenly stiffened at their bodies' close proximity, her entire length pressed tightly against his. Her eyes were wide as they stared at each other for a few seconds until Damon realised that he was holding her inappropriately and reluctantly released her from his arms. For a split second, he saw the way her face fell with disappointment at the loss of contact, but she quickly recovered and turned to walk towards the connecting dining room, leaving Damon behind in the kitchen.

"So? Do you love the house?" Jenna asked with a wide grin as she joined Elena from the living room.

"Yes, I love it! I-I think it's really great," she announced forced enthusiasm, her head still reeling from the feel of his warm body against hers.

"I _knew_ it! I knew you would love it! That was what I told Damon when I first clapped eyes on it. I think that's why he bought it. Come on, you haven't even seen the upstairs yet!" Jenna pulled her to the stairs through the living room, much to Elena's relief since Damon was still in the kitchen having a conversation with Ric from the sound of it.

She and Jenna made their way up the mahogany timber staircase, and walked across the landing to find two doors.

"This will be the guest room; it has a four-poster bed frame, side tables, a wardrobe and a dresser with an attached bathroom," Jenna explained as they entered through one of the doors, sounding like a real estate salesperson. "And over in the other room, we're thinking to have the nursery for the baby. Don't you think it's such a lovely room with the pastel-coloured walls and a bay window seat where you can sit and watch the baby sleep?"

"Yes, it's _exactly_ the right room for the baby. He or she is going to be right at home here," Elena smiled softly as she gazed dreamily around the room, her mind already conjuring up images of the design she had for this room.

"Wait, wait, wait! Now, for the _best_ part of the house," Jenna motioned for her to follow her across the landing into another room, presumably the master bedroom. "Ta da!" her arm made a sweeping gesture as they stepped into the bedroom.

Her breath caught in her throat, Elena took in the sight of the gorgeous room around her, amazed by how perfect everything was. Most of the furniture was white; the king-size four-post bed, a chest of drawers, a full-length oval vanity mirror propped against a wall, floor-to-ceiling height bookshelves on the other wall, and a cabriole sofa at the foot of the bed. On either side of the bed were two sets of glass doors that led outside to a semi-private balcony where a rattan swing with white cushions was suspended from the ceiling, overlooking the front yard. A screen of white timber trellises covered with overgrown bougainvilleas and money plants complete the intimate look for privacy and added a splash of colour to an otherwise plain setting.

The walk-in wardrobe was a totally different environment though; as soon as Elena slid open the double French doors with frosted glass, the size of the room behind it caught her off-guard. The floor was covered with plush carpeting, and the right wall was covered from top to bottom with shelves for shoes, bags, and hanging rods for dresses and coats. The left wall was also covered with rows and columns of compartments for pants, tops, deep drawers, and even overhead storage space for big items like luggage and boxes. Elena especially loved the round red loveseat located right in the middle of the room, separating the two sides of wardrobe with a chandelier hanging on top of it, giving the entire space a cosy and romantic ambience.

"Isn't this _absolutely_ divine? I would give my left kidney to have a wardrobe like this! And you know what would be even cooler than having a wardrobe like it?" Jenna asked, her voice filled with the tiniest tinge of wardrobe-envy. "It's buying all the beautiful clothes to fill up all the space in it! I am _so_ looking forward to all the shopping we're gonna do to attempt to fill _this_ baby up," she carried on with a dreamy smile on her lips.

"Jenna," Elena laughed helplessly, "this isn't even _my_ wardrobe! It's Damon's house so he gets to sleep in the master, I'll take the guest room."

"What? You're sleeping in separate rooms? But you're gonna be married! Aren't you even going to live like a normal married couple?" Jenna responded in surprise.

"There's nothing _normal_ about this whole marriage and you know it! Besides, I'll be out of this house in a year, so there's no use for me getting used to all these only to have to say goodbye to it all later. I'll be too sad to leave," Elena shook her head sadly, her eyes looking longingly at the wardrobes that were absolutely perfect in her opinion.

"Then don't," came a masculine voice from behind her, shoulder propped up against the sliding doors of the walk-in wardrobe entrance, looking as if he'd been standing there for a while. At the sound of his voice, the two ladies whirled around to see his serious expression gazing levelly at Elena.

"What?" Elena gasped. Jenna whipped her head back and forth between the two of them and then hastily excused herself to join Ric downstairs.

"_Don't_ leave," Damon said. "I didn't buy this house just so that I can live in it alone after a year. Stay here _with_ me and the baby. This marriage may not have started out normal; well, normal as in boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they date, they go steady, boy proposes, girl says yes, they get married and have a baby. _Our_ version of normal is boy gets girl drunk, have passionate sex on the first date, boy doesn't hear from girl for one month, girl shows up pregnant on boy's front door, and _then_ they get married. But that doesn't mean that they can't have the happy-ever-after like the first scenario. Not when the boy realizes how incredibly attracted he is to the girl and has been fighting to keep his hands off her since the day they met." He was slowly walking towards her as he started speaking, and now he was standing in front of her, his clear blue eyes gazing down at her wide brown ones in earnest.

"Yo-you're attracted to _me_? But-but that's ridiculous, isn't it?" she blinked her eyes rapidly in disbelief.

"Why? Why is it ridiculous? Is it because we didn't meet and fall in love in a conventional method? Well, you and I, _we're_ not conventional people. We're just two people who met by chance and it was fate that brought us back together under extraordinary circumstances. And now we're getting married, having a baby together and there's nothing I want more than to have a _real_ married life with you! Screw the separate beds clause in our betrothal contract! To _hell_ with what my father wants-_I_ don't want our marriage to start with an expiration date! You know what _I_ want?" He was standing dangerously close to her now, their bodies almost touching, and his head just inches from hers.

"What?" she breathed out nervously, her eyes locked with his intense gaze, only to drift downwards to his lips, merely a few millimetres away.

"I want to kiss you," he whispered huskily, as his lips closed the fraction of an inch gap to finally touch hers softly, leisurely, as if he had all the time in the world to savour her sweet taste.

"I want to touch you," he murmured against her lips as his hands slid around her waist to draw her closer to him, trapping her body tightly against his, while his mouth romanced hers into submission. Elena stood in the middle of the walk-in wardrobe, wrapped in his arms and gave herself up to the most seductive kiss ever, her mind refusing to work at all. In the back of her mind, a voice appeared, telling her to stop this insanity, and that she shouldn't allow this to happen. When his tongue invaded between her lips to taste her fully, that voice was immediately silenced and all she could do was to just go along for the ride.

"I want to taste you, here," he delved his tongue deep into the crevice of her mouth, exploring gently, "and _here_," he moved his right hand from around her waist to between her thighs, sliding his palm under her skirt to cup her wet heat as she shuddered against him.

"I want to bury myself deep within you, making you moan out my name in pleasure as I enter you again and again," he lifted his lips from hers to allow her to breathe as he slid his lips over her flushed cheeks to whisper in her ear while his right hand pulled her soaked underwear aside and his middle finger entered her core, eliciting a moan from her open mouth.

"Damonnnnnn," she breathed out, her whole body tensed with concentration on that particular spot his finger was torturing.

"And then we'll fall in love, truly, madly and deeply," on that last word, he claimed her mouth again, silencing her screams as he added a second finger into her, curling them upwards as her whole body strained towards a release only _he_ had ever given her before this. She clung to him as her body started trembling violently and she reached for it, reaching, reaching, she was right on the edge about to take a leap of faith, until...it was gone. He had withdrawn his fingers and stepped completely away from her as he turned her around to face the ensuite bathroom while he vanished into the bedroom.

She was numb with shock, unable to believe how close she was to oblivion when he pulled away cruelly, leaving her frustrated and unsatisfied. Belatedly, she heard Ric and Jenna's voices, and then Damon's muffled respond right in the room next to where she stood, still struggling to pull her body under control.

_That explained it_, she thought. He must have heard her aunt and her boyfriend approaching the master bedroom and she thanked God that at least one of them was alert enough to stop just in time. She couldn't imagine the embarrassment of being caught in an intimate embrace with the front of her skirt half exposed. She walked into the master bathroom to collect herself and splashed some cold water on her face and neck to cool down the redness on the skin. She caught her own reflection on the full-length mirror and she was surprised at the sight of a healthy glow that radiated from her, no doubt contributed by a thin sheen on sweat on her skin. She looked as if she just completed a marathon run or an intense sexual workout.

Her head snapped to the doorway when he suddenly appeared, his expression concerned and anxious, as if he didn't know how she'd react.

"I'm sorry, I didn't have time to warn you by the time I heard them. As usual, Ric has the most _impeccable_ sense of timing. Are you okay?" his gaze swept over her face, noting her still-flushed face.

"I'm fine, I just...I don't know. I'm in shock, I guess," she admitted ruefully.

"Over what? Almost being caught by Jenna and Ric or my...proposition?"

"Yes," she said simply after a long pause. He let out a chuckle at her answer.

"Elena, it wasn't a yes or no question. You know what? We don't have time to go into this now. Jenna's going back to her house now, so she can send you back to the hotel if you want. Ric and I are going furniture-shopping to get this place liveable as soon as possible. I don't want you living all alone in that hotel room anymore if I can help it. Once I get our new mattresses, a sofa and a new TV delivered, and then we can start moving our stuff in here. We also need toiletries, groceries, some household cleaners and what-nots. So, do you like the house?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, I-I love it! I especially love the walk-in wardrobe," Elena admitted, the teenager in her absolutely loves all that extra space for all her clothes, bags and shoes.

"I know what you mean - it's now my _favourite_ room in the whole house," his brows wiggled meaningfully at her, his clear blue eyes darkened at the recollection of what happened between them earlier. "So, do you want to go back to the hotel room to rest, or do you want to come along with me and Ric to hunt down some decent furniture? You might want to try out some mattresses for our bed," Damon suggested, unknowingly using the word 'our' instead of 'your'. Apparently, he had already assumed that they would be sleeping in the same bed together from her reaction to his seduction earlier.

She considered her choices; if she were to go back to the hotel, she'd only drive herself crazy with thoughts of his lips and hands on her, and she might actually _consider_ his proposition for a real marriage. On the other hand, tagging along to choose furniture for _his_ house seemed a little too personal for her, even if Ric was there as a buffer between them. Thinking quickly, she chose secret option C; she needed to un-muddle her brain.

"That's okay, sounds like you guys need a little male bonding time and I don't really fancy being alone either. I'll get Jenna to drop me off at Bonnie's for a little girly time. I've been so busy with the wedding stuff that I hardly spent any time with her at all this past week. I trust your taste; after all, _you_ chose the house!" She smiled warmly at him, reassuring him that she was fine.

"All right," he sighed with disappointment, "have fun with Bonnie. Ric and I will be occupying our afternoon 'sleeping' together, as in lying down on mattresses," he chuckled silently as he stepped closer to her, torn between kissing her lips or her cheek goodbye, so his head moved back and forth awkwardly until he ended up pressing a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't knock _him_ up," she advised wisely as he let out a bark of laughter and affectionately ruffled her hair on the top of her head. They walked out of their new house with lingering smiles on their faces as they each joined Jenna and Ric separately.

* * *

><p>"Bonnie, I'm in trouble!" Elena wailed as she collapsed face down on top of Bonnie's bed as soon as she entered her bedroom.<p>

"What, _besides_ being pregnant and broke? What happened _now_?" Bonnie demanded to know as her brows narrowed in a concerned frown as she stared down at Elena.

"I may be falling in love with my fiancée and would-be husband!" Elena announced in another wail.

'You mean Damon? And why is _that_ such a bad thing?"

"Because I wasn't supposed to!" Elena burst out as she sat up straight to peer at Bonnie through her dishevelled hair. "Because he was engaged to be married _before_ I showed up pregnant on his doorstep! And because we all agreed that this was supposed to be a one-year thing! We weren't supposed to fall in love! That complicates things a little."

"Well, what changed between you two? A couple of days ago, you both still had a 'platonic' relationship, so what happened recently?" Bonnie asked calmly, ever the voice of reason and logic.

"Well, he bought _us_ a house, he didn't buy _himself_ house where the baby and myself will stay until the year is up. He told me today that he wants us to have a real marriage, like for real, sleeping on the same bed and everything! He said he was attracted to me and have been from the day we met. He-he wants to kiss me, touch me and he wants us both to fall in love, truly, madly, and deeply. Bonnie, what do I do?" she wailed again in a panic.

"Well, for one thing, you can thank God for small miracles! Okay, listen to me, Lena, you are pregnant with his baby, correct?"

Elena nodded.

"Circumstances decided that you two should be married, correct?"

She nodded again.

"He doesn't love his ex-fiancée, and was grateful that he got out of that, right?"

"Well, that's what _he_ said, but-" Elena said.

"Let's assume for now that he's not a liar, okay? So, he is single, you are single, and now you're both having a baby together. Now, obviously, you both are mutually attracted to each other, am I right?" Bonnie asked directly.

Elena nodded.

"And he is a pretty decent guy, in fact, he's been nothing but extremely understanding and kind to you, hasn't he?"

Elena nodded again.

"So, I don't see a problem here, Lena. Obviously, neither one of you want a failed first marriage, especially when there's a child involved here. So, why can't you give it a chance? What have you got to lose? You have one year to make this work, Lena. One year! I think you should trust your instincts. What do they tell you?"

Elena pondered over Bonnie's words. She was right, as usual. What _did_ she have to lose? If it all worked out, she'd walk away at the end of that year with her very own loving family. If it didn't work out, then hopefully, they'd part as friends and he'd still be her baby's father. That will _never_ change.

"My instincts say that I should go for it," she nodded with determination, her heart fluttering with pride that she was finally letting go of any residual doubts she had about Damon. He was right; they both deserved to give this marriage a real shot, and she had a feeling that they _would_ have the fairy-tale ending she'd always dreamed of. "Bonnie, since when did you get to be so smart?"

"Girlfriend, you ain't seen nothing yet!" Bonnie replied with a little head bob, and they both burst out laughing as they hugged each other.

* * *

><p>Early Monday morning, with almost two weeks until the wedding, Caroline and Ric were seated in Damon's office, pouring over the engagement announcement she posted via the newspapers. Damon would have preferred not to attract any attention to him and Elena, since a number of people already knew of his engagement to Katherine not two weeks before. He knew that it would raise unnecessary questions and create curiosity on his new bride, but his father was a prominent businessman and Damon, being the eldest son and the Executive Director of the company, it was inevitable. He only hoped that it wouldn't cause any stress to Elena if she was hounded by the press who would want exclusive interviews with the mystery girl who managed to ensnare one of New York's eligible bachelor from Katherine Pierce.<p>

"I think this photo of you and Elena looked really cute. You make one gorgeous couple, I'll tell you that!" Caroline told Damon as she flipped through various stacks of newspapers to cut out copies of the announcement.

"Where'd you get the photos?" Damon asked distractedly as he worried about how Elena would feel having her face plastered on three different newspapers distributed throughout New York.

"Mama Rosa gave me yours and Jenna gave Elena's to Ric who passed it on to me. I just scanned them in my computer, photoshopped them to look like they were taken together and voila! My masterpiece. Sometimes, I'm _so_ good, I amaze myself," she announced smugly as the two men rolled their eyes at each other.

"So, Damon, have you given the ring to Elena yet?" Ric asked with a grin, recalling their gay-ish antics when they were choosing the perfect ring.

"Hey, _I_ haven't seen the ring yet! Why should Elena get to see it first?" Caroline objected indignantly, frowning slightly at the thought of Damon buying a ring that wasn't pre-approved by her.

"Because Elena's my wife! Of course she'd be the first one to see _her_ ring, Care!" Damon announced loudly. "Anyway, no, I haven't given her the ring yet, Ric. I was thinking I'd do it tonight, after she'd moved in. I thought it was appropriate, you know, our first night living together, I'll officially propose to her and hopefully, she would accept my proposition."

"What proposition? That you'd take turns doing the dishes?" Ric asked.

"No! I-I kinda asked her to have a real marriage with me," Damon admitted softly, bracing himself for a big reaction from his buddies.

"Wait, what? A _real_ marriage? As in, till-death-do-you-part, in sickness and in health, sex-on-every-other-month marriage?" Caroline asked incredulously, as if the very idea was unheard of. A slow grin was appearing on her face.

"Yeah, the real McCoy! Why, do you think it's too soon to ask her?"

"Haha! I knew it! Pay up, Ricky!" Caroline's broad smile was triumphant as she held out her palm and wriggled her fingers in front of Ric who groaned in defeat and proceeded to hand over a crisp fifty dollar note onto her outstretched hand.

"Thank you!" she announced in a sing-song voice as she folded and stuffed the note down her cleavage.

"Hey, you guys _bet_ on me? What was the bet; that I'd ask her for a real marriage?" Damon shook his head with disbelief.

"No, I bet that you would fall in love with Elena _before_ the wedding and Ricky here bet that you'd put up a fight until _after_ the wedding! I was right!" Caroline giggled happily.

"Way to go, man! I thought you'd at least have the balls to wait till you're officially married first, but I guess I didn't realise how whipped you already were with her. Did you ask her about the real marriage thing when we were all at the house? Was that what we interrupted when we went up to the bedroom?" Ric grinned.

"Yeah, among other things. Look, don't bring this up in front of her, okay? I don't want to pressure her into making any decisions before she's ready. So, for the record, I haven't said anything to you two, got it?" Damon warned, his expression serious.

"Oh, you are _so_ totally in love, right Ric?" Caroline teased as she laughed out loud.

"Yeah, so in love! Damon and Lena, sitting in a tree," Ric started singing only to be joined by Caroline as he continued, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Lena with a baby carriage," the song ended as Caroline and Ric dissolved into childish giggles, much to Damon's disgust.

"DAMON SALVATORE! What is the meaning of _this_!" three heads snapped up to Damon's office door and watched as the door burst open as a shrieking Katherine Pierce stormed in. She threw a copy of the Times newspaper onto his work desk when she came close enough to jab a finger on the familiar photograph of Damon and Elena.

"It's Monday, I have work to do," Ric muttered as he quickly disappeared out the door, followed by Caroline who casually picked up her purse and threw a smug look at Katherine as she made her way out of the office.

"I woke up this morning to _hundreds_ of calls asking me if I was dumped by Damon Salvatore for 'a younger model'! I've never been so _humiliated_ in my life! You have to fix this, now!" she screamed, not caring that she was creating a scene with her loud outburst.

"Kat, you _knew_ that I was marrying Elena. We went over this last week! Look, I'm sorry that you had to find out about the announcement from the papers like this, but I can't fix anything that isn't wrong. Just lay low for a few days, and this whole thing will blow over like it usually does for these things. People don't really care who's marrying whom, they're just gossiping right now. Soon, they'll forget all about us and move on with their lives. That's just the way it works, Kat!" Damon shrugged helplessly, unwilling to get caught up in her hysterics.

"People care, Damon! _I_ care! People are saying that you're marrying a younger girl because I'm damaged goods! All of a sudden, your new fiancée is a mysterious young hot socialite from some exotic origin who managed to secure a proposal from you in a few weeks, when it took me a few years to get the same from you. They are saying that you took one look at her and fell head over heels in love with her and dumped me on my own engagement announcement party! You made me look stupid and pathetic, you bastard! I want you to call the whole thing off, Damon. I mean it! Send a retraction to the papers or whatever but I want you to take it back!" she hissed at him, her eyes wide, and she almost looked demented at this point.

"I can't! I told you, Elena is pregnant and I can't do anything to jeopardize my marriage to her. She's innocent in all this and I need to marry her to protect her and the baby. As per our agreement, I'll divorce her after one year and then _we_ can get married. So in the mean time, I suggest you stop acting all crazy or people will start believing in those rumours. If you want to salvage your pride, we can act like we've been close friends the whole time and that you find the whole thing amusing that people would assume that we were _ever_ engaged to begin with. Since we never made any official announcements, they will think that they've got it wrong the entire time and we've merely been friends. After my divorce is over, then we can tell people that we finally fell in love and decided to get married once it's all finalised. You're good at acting, so you think you can pull that off?" Damon glared at her, biting back the bile that was coming up his throat at the thought of having to keep up the charade of him actually intending to marry her after divorcing Elena. God, what a mess! If Elena found out about any of this, he would surely lose her for good.

"Fine! I will act, but I want to get some insurance from you. I want you to get a lawyer to prepare your divorce papers dated one year later, and I want you to sign it! I want a copy of that by this week, and _then_ I will act my ass off to spare us both some embarrassment. If I'm _this_ upset, then I don't know how my father will react if he found out how hurt I am by this. You've been warned, Damon. One week or my father walks with all his business contacts," she purred haughtily as she turned around to stalk out of the office, leaving a fuming Damon behind.

* * *

><p>Pushing all thoughts of the wicked-witch-of-New-York out of his mind for the moment, Damon went to the hotel room to help Elena with her packing to move all her stuff over to their house. Elena's been staying at the hotel for over a week now, and she had most of her stuff moved over from her old house already. So, after about six trips down to his car with her suitcases and boxes, he was exhausted enough to collapse on her hotel bed, panting heavily from exertion.<p>

"Please...tell...me...that's...the...last...of...it!" he managed to wheeze out finally after gulping down deep breaths.

"Are you okay? I could have helped but you were too stubborn to let me. And yes, that's the last of it," she told him worriedly.

"I'm...fine...you...pregnant...squash...baby," he said, his chest still heaving from lack of breath.

"I'm _barely_ two months' pregnant! I can still carry a thing or two, I'm pregnant, not invalid!" she rolled her eyes as she handed him a cold beer, which he took gratefully, gulping down deep mouthfuls, then shuddered at the bitter taste.

"Yuck! What the hell _is_ this stuff? I do all the heavy lifting, and you try to poison me as a thank you. No more doing you any favours until you learn how to thank me properly," he teased as he tossed the can aside.

"How do you want me to thank you?" she smiled as he pretended to think about it.

'Well, I only ever accept these currencies; a kiss, a glass of bourbon, or some heavy petting. Sometimes, all three if it's a very special favour," he wiggled his brows cheekily as he flashed his trademark smirk.

"Okay, I'll try to remember that next time. Now, shall we go? I'm kinda sick of this hotel room already," Elena said with an expression of aversion.

"Well, aren't you a little high maintenance! This room costs almost four hundred dollars per night, you know?"

"For _this_?" she gazed around the room sceptically, and then she saw his expression. "I meant, four hundred for such a grand suite is basically a steal! I've enjoyed my stay here immensely, I mean, the very thought of leaving makes me so sad, but yet there were so many pleasant memories while I-" she rambled on with fake enthusiasm.

"Okay, stop! Firstly, you're a _terrible_ liar, and secondly...what I just said. So since you've made your feelings clear about leaving the room, what do you say we scram and head on home?" he chuckled softly.

"Yes! Let's go home!" she immediately jumped up and grabbed her purse on the way out of the room.

"Hang on! Aren't you forgetting something?" he called to her just as she was about to step out the door.

"What, I'm not thanking you with a kiss or heavy petting! And do I look like I carry around a bottle of bourbon in my purse?"

"Elena, you left something on the bed," he held up her teddy bear that was hidden under the unmade sheet of the bed.

"Oh, Mr. Cuddles! I can't believe I _almost_ left you behind! Thank you, Damon! You have no idea how upset I'd be if I lost him!" she said gratefully as she grabbed the bear from Damon's hands and hugged it to her chest tightly.

"Ah, ah, ah! What did I just say about thanking me?" he grinned evilly as he leaned in with his eyes closed and his lips pursed, expecting her to give him a light peck.

"Oh, all right! Here, you bear molester!" He opened his eyes in shock as he felt not a pair of soft lips but a fluffy soft toy's sewed-on lips on his. "There, happy now?" she giggled playfully as his eyes narrowed on the bear, and then she was out the door.

* * *

><p>They chatted amicably as he drove to their new house, excited that they were finally moving in together. During the short drive, Elena was asking Damon to tell her something that she did not know about him.<p>

"I sing in my car, but who doesn't?" Damon admitted.

"I've never done that," Elena shrugged, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Seriously? You haven't? Don't you sing at all?" Damon turned to face her, his face bewildered at the thought of anyone not singing in their own car.

"Oh I sing! I sing all the time. I've just never sung in _your_ car before," she exploded in fits of giggles.

"Funny! You think you're so cute, don't you?"

"Yes, indeed I do! Hey, why are all these cars here? Is this a surprise party?" Elena asked as their car approached their new house and she could see Jenna, Ric, Caroline and Bonnie's cars spread across the lawn.

"Believe me, I have no idea what they are doing here! Come on, let's go find out," he got out of the car and hurried to her side to help her out. Then, they both walked in through the open front door to find the owner of the cars plus Stefan seated on their new L-shaped sofa, drinking wine and whiskey.

"Hello, people who do not live here!" Damon announced to the group of five.

A chorus of hellos and heys greeted him back. Damon pulled Ric aside and hissed in his ear, "Dude, I gave you my spare key for emergency. This doesn't _look_ like an emergency!"

"It is when Jenna and I ran out of booze at my place, so we decided to raid yours. Chill, man. We're just brightening up the place for you!" Ric smiled broadly.

Damon sighed and gave up. "Well, if you guys refuse to leave, the least you could do is to help to move Elena's stuff from the car to the master bedroom upstairs," he announced over their conversations.

"On it!" Ric replied good-naturedly and proceeded outside to Damon's car, followed closely by a smiling Jenna.

"I'll help too. It's the least I can do since we've drunk nearly half of your liquor cabinet," Stefan grinned as he and Caroline went outside to help. Bonnie was too wasted to care.

After all of Elena's stuff were safety tucked away upstairs, Damon ordered in some Chinese food as well as pizza for the gang. To be honest, he hasn't had a fun night in like this for quite a while; ever since he started dating Katherine. He missed hanging out with a group of friends, even though this gang of motley crew were a far cry from his old friends from Uni, he still enjoyed their company, even the newly joined Jenna and Bonnie. Needless to say, Elena fit right into his life, as if he had known her forever.

At that moment, the seven of them were all seated around the dining room table, most of them already drunk and they were starting to laugh extremely loudly and slurring their words. Damon walked in from inspecting his liquor cabinet but couldn't find the bottle he was looking for.

"Ric, have you seen the bottle of bourbon we've been saving for a special occasion?"

"Yes, I hid it!" Ric said proudly.

"Oh good! I thought I lost it while I was unpacking. So, where did you hide it?" Damon asked.

"In my mouth, why? By the way, they tasted awesome!" Ric laughed loudly as the rest of the table giggled along with him.

"I'm gonna kill you, drunk or not," Damon threatened, his eyes flashing.

"Wait, Damon, before you do that, I wanted to ask Ric about the knee pit thingy," Elena voiced out, still curious about it since Jenna mentioned it when they were at the house the first time.

"Oh, Lena, noooo...it's not polite discussion for the dinner table." Jenna shook her head gravely.

"Come on, just tell me! I'm really curious to know what it is."

"Ask Damon. He's the one who taught me. In fact, I think he'd be pleased to _show_ it to you," Ric leered as Elena whirled around to stare at Damon expectantly.

"Oh, no, no, no. Elena, I'm not showing you anything, least of all tonight in front of all these witnesses," Damon declined firmly. "Let's just find something else to do."

"I know what we can do! Let's play hide and seek! It's a big house, plenty of places to hide in! Come on, it'd be fun!" Caroline jumped up and clapped her hands excitedly, joined enthusiastically by Bonnie and Jenna.

"What are we, five? Seriously? Hide and go seek? I'd sooner watch Titanic!" Damon rolled his eyes at the thought of his business partners witnessing this scene; an Executive Director considering playing a child's game at his own house with a bunch of uninvited guests.

"Damon, tell me about the knee pit thing. I'm so darn curious!" Elena whined.

"Uhh, on second thought, let's _ALL_ play hide and go seek! Caroline, since it's _your_ idea, you seek and we'll all hide. Count to thirty before you start looking. Ready, go!" Damon shouted as he avoided Elena's narrowed gaze on him. With that, everyone scattered around the house, the girls giggling with mirth, and the guys highly amused at the sight of grown adults rushing to hide themselves to avoid being caught by a blonde girl.

"Twenty one!" Caroline counted as the sounds of running footsteps echoed around the house.

Damon ran around his own house, at a loss of where to hide. Ric was lying flat on the sofa with the cushion seats arranged neatly on top of him, cleverly hidden from plain sight. Jenna was hidden behind the dining room curtain, figuring the safest place to hide was the most obvious one. He had no idea where Elena, Stefan or Bonnie was, but they were most likely upstairs.

"Twenty six!"

Panicking slightly, Damon ran into the kitchen and looked around for any good spots, and then he saw the small door behind the wine racks. Perfect! He almost laughed aloud at his own ingenuity as he opened the door soundlessly and then almost had a heart attack as he saw Elena's frightened face in front of him.

"Twenty eight!"

Damon hastily closed the door behind him and stood an inch away from Elena who's back was pressed firmly against the back wall of the narrow food larder.

"Thirty! Here I come, ready or not!" Caroline shouted gleefully.

Elena's vision was blocked by Damon's tall frame in front of her, his broad shoulders covering the view of the whole door. He was gazing down at her, finding himself unexpectedly alone with her for the first time since they arrived at their house.

"Why did you steal my hiding place?" he whispered.

"_Your_ hiding place? I was here first! _You_ invaded my privacy!" she whispered right back.

"Guess we're both a couple of geniuses then!" he replied in a low voice.

They both stiffened and grabbed each other in a panic as they heard light footsteps approaching the kitchen. "Where _is_ everybody?" they heard Caroline mutter as she paced around in the kitchen for a moment before her footsteps receded.

Elena heaved a sigh of relief, and then realised that they were holding on to each other.

His face was about two inches from hers, and she found his intense blue eyes locked on hers when she tilted her head up. Biting back a smile, she leaned in close, watching his eyes widen with shock as he expected her to kiss him, but she tilted her head to the side of his face at the last moment, and whispered in his ear, "_Now_, will you tell me about the knee pit thing?"

"No! Elena, drop the subject. You'll regret it if you asked me that again," he warned, but since he was whispering, the effect was much less dramatic.

"Damon, please tell me. I _really_ want to know. If you don't tell me, I'll just keep asking and asking-" she implored with her stupid Bambi eyes. Well she asked for it!

"Fine! Don't say I didn't warn you. I can't _tell_ it to you, but I can show you. Stay very very still, and not a peep out of you or it's game over for the both of us," he said with a smirk. She nodded eagerly.

She gasped when she felt his right hand travelled slowly down her arms, her thighs and lower still, and then he lifted her left leg to wrap around his waist, with her knees bent. This position made her lean back even more, supported only by the wall behind her and her right leg which was on the floor. He hooked his fingers to the soft flesh behind her bent knee, two fingers probing gently, until they found the exact spot he'd been searching for by touch alone. He knew instantly that it was the right spot when he heard her breathing hitched sharply and her eyes slid shut as she experienced something she had never experienced before.

Elena has heard of foreplay, and the various erogenous zones that could stimulate a person to arousal, some quicker than others. But for the first time in her life, she found herself turning to putty at the hands of this sex God who managed to send her to great heights just by touching the back of her knees.

As his fingers stroked her left knee pit, her remaining right leg shook and he had to hold her up by his left hand around her tiny waist. She felt the sensations around the nerves of her knee pit expanded to her core, and she let out a low moan, only to be silenced by the feel of his lips sliding on hers hungrily. Helpless against the desire flooding through her veins, she surrendered to the exquisite torture and she threw her hands around his neck, pulling him into her, her mouth opening to accept his invading tongue. She returned his kisses feverishly, all thoughts of Caroline or the game banished from her mind as she writhed against his hard-on, straining towards her through his jeans. His fingers were still busy rubbing against the spot, this time with increased urgency as her whole body jerked and quivered against his. Still waging tongue wars with him, her hands slid down from his neck to his hard chest and her thumbs flicked his nipples through his shirt, causing him to give a jolt. He groaned out and threw his head back, releasing her swollen lips from his.

"Don't...stop. I'm..." she whispered and then bit down on her lip to stop herself for screaming as she felt herself come apart in a rush just from having him massage her knee pit. This man in front of her was amazing; there was _nothing_ he couldn't do. He watched her ride out the waves with her skin flushed sweetly, thinking about how she had surrendered herself to him without question, not even the slightest protest had escaped from her lips. Perhaps this was a sign that she was receptive to his idea of having a real relationship with her, that she could see herself falling in love with him in the future. Hope flared within him, and he made a decision as he reached into his pocket to pull out the ring he had chosen for her. When her eyes finally opened to gaze into his, he whispered three words softly to her.

"Marry me, Elena."

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><p><strong>I must say that I'm rather proud of the number of story alerts and fav stories that has been added for the past 7 chapters. <strong>

**I really love all your support, and please keep giving me your feedback since I adore replying to reviews!**

**Before that, some acknowledgements:**

**Knee pit – inspired by Ally McBeal**

**Singing in the car – Craig Ferguson**

**Sorry for the extremely childish hide and seek game, but I imagined Damon and Elena being stuck together in that food larder, so I went with hide and seek. It's pretty fun imagining them all act like lil kids and all that. **

**Next chapter: Do I hear wedding bells?**

**Like it, Love it or Hate it, just press the button below that says R-E-V-I-E-W, and then type out what you think. **

**Arigato Gozaimas!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8 had the highest number of reviews yet! Thank you for the support!**

**Just a little note I'd like to highlight:**

**I know the Damon in this story is nowhere near as snarky or sarcastic as his character in TVD, but then this was how I imagined he'd be before 1864 when he was human and in love. I'm just writing him to be a sweet, caring guy who loves with his whole heart. So, I hope you guys don't mind the difference in character. **

**Okay, now that I've got _that_ off my chest, on to the next!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Dilemma<strong>

"Marry me, Elena."

Her shocked gaze slid from him to the ring he held in front of her, the sparkling diamonds glittering and beckoning to her.

"Wh-huh? I'm kinda under the impression that we _were_ getting married, aren't we? Isn't that what we've been planning the whole time and the reason Caroline's been driving us crazy?" she asked, her gaze still riveted on the gorgeous ring.

"Yes, but that was what we were _told_ to do. The whole 'deal' was my father's idea, with the one-year marriage and the divorce clauses; neither of us really had a say in the matter. I told you before that I wanted a _real_ marriage with you, and I wanted to start it off with a real proposal. You can't deny that we feel something for each other, not after that one amazing night we had and the kisses we've shared since then. I'm an old-fashioned guy, Elena. I just want us to have a chance at a real marriage, not one of convenience. It's just more...honest that way. And who knows, maybe one day you'll like me enough to fall in love with me," Damon reasoned. _As he was already starting to fall for her_, he added to himself.

"I-I don't know what to say," she hesitated; feeling like it was all too good to be true. The thought that this amazing, caring, handsome man was interested to have a genuine relationship with her, even though she had very little to offer him in return was too tempting to ignore. He was right; she _was_ attracted to him, and she honestly cared about him too. Her heart did a little somersault at the thought that she'll get to keep him as her husband together with their baby. She would get to have her own little loving family. She would belong...somewhere and to someone, finally.

"Say yes, Elena. Say yes and we can be together for real. Say yes because I'm dying to see how this ring looks on your finger," he whispered in a low voice, his eyes gazing deep into hers, as if he was trying to penetrate into her soul.

She felt her own hands slowly reaching for the ring, as if they were acting independently. Just when her finger was about to touch the cold metal, the door to the food larder swung open and an irritated voice rang out, snapping both of them out of their reverie.

"There you are! I've been looking _everywhere_ for you! I found Jenna, Bonnie and Stefan, but I couldn't find you, Ric, and Elena. Do you know where they are hiding?" Caroline sounded frustrated as she addressed the back of Damon's body which was blocking Elena from view.

Damon turned around impatiently; his exasperated gaze silently reprimanded the blonde for interrupting his moment with Elena. "Caroline, close the damn door!" he bit out under his breath, as Elena peeked out guiltily at Caroline over his shoulders.

"Elena! I didn't see you there. What are you-oh my God, is _that_ a ring?" Caroline shrieked, belatedly realizing what she had so rudely barged in on. "Damon, are you proposing? Oh my God! I didn't see you, I wasn't here! Undo! Undo! Carry on you two!" she squealed before slamming the door shut again.

"Have I mentioned how much I hate blondes? Especially _that_ particular one! Between Caroline and Ric, I'm _never_ gonna have a private moment to myself, am I? First, they show up unannounced, then they drink all my booze, then they disrupt my first romantic night home with my fiancée and walked in during one of the most important moments of my life! I swear I'll disown them the minute they-" Damon's ranting stopped abruptly the moment her lips collided with his, shutting him up momentarily. The fact that _she_ was the aggressor this time made his heart sing with joy as she allowed herself to explore his mouth, feeling proud that she made him groan out loud from her inexperienced kisses.

He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, and when their tongues touched again, she let out a moan as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. After what felt like eternity later, he released her lips and he rested his forehead against hers while they gasped for air with their eyes still closed.

"Is that a yes?" he asked a minute later once their breathing returned to normal. Surprisingly, she shook her head with a small smile on her lips.

"It's a hell yes! I want everything that you want too. I want a husband who loves me and a family of my own. We may not be in love right now, but I'm willing to try with you. I-I care about you, Damon and I guess that's a start. So, yes, I'll marry you," she nodded solemnly and then bit back a giggle as he lifted her up and hugged her to him excitedly in what little space the small room allowed. He gave her another lingering kiss before he set her down on her feet and pulled back to look into her eyes while he slid the ring onto her finger.

"I was right; the ring looks perfect on you. Do you like it?"

"It's amazing, it's beautiful, and it's more than I've ever dreamt of. I love it! Thank you, Damon," she breathed out, unable to take her eyes off the ring on her finger.

"You're welcome, _wife_," he smiled sweetly as he leaned in to kiss her again, and again.

"Do you hear anything outside? It's gotten pretty quiet. Do you think they've left?" she murmured when he finally lifted his head again.

"I don't know. Come on, let's find out," he held on to her hand as he stepped back and opened the door silently, and together, they made their way out of the kitchen to look for signs of life. There was a huge lump on one side of the sofa and the sound of loud snoring coming from one of the cushions on the other end. Upon closer inspection, Damon ascertained that the huge lump was indeed a sleeping Stefan, and what Elena thought was a haunted sofa turned out to be an extremely drunk Alaric who fell asleep under the sofa cushions he hid under earlier. There were no signs of the girls.

Resisting the urge to jump on the cushions and squashing Ric under them, Damon and Elena crept noiselessly upstairs, so as not to awaken the two sleeping drunks on the couch, to find the three missing girls passed out on the bed in the guest room.

"Looks like we're not sleeping on separate beds tonight after all, even if we wanted to," Damon whispered with a happy smirk on his face.

"There's always the walk-in wardrobe, Damon," she whispered right back with her own cheeky grin.

"I buy you a quarter of a million dollars worth of diamonds, and you're sticking me in the wardrobe? You're mean, Elena!" he stuck his lower lip out in a pout as he pulled her into the master bedroom.

"All right, if you're gonna pout about it, then _you_ can have the bed, and I'll be in the wardrobe!" she teased as she rolled her eyes at him. "I'm gonna hit the showers, okay?"

"Together?" he smirked, remembering her innocence and shyness during their one night stand in Ric's apartment.

"To-together?" she stuttered nervously as her eyes widened at his suggestion.

"Oh yeah, I _forgot_ that you were strictly opposed to taking showers together. If I remember correctly, we agreed to shower separately, but at the same time, in different bathrooms, didn't we?" he chuckled loudly. "God, you were so adorable that night; so shy and modest. The way you held your dress so tightly against the front of your body and sidestepped around me to the bathroom, not realizing that you provided me with a very tantalizing _clear_ view of your very naked tushy reflected by a huge mirror behind you! I swear that was the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life!"

"You-you saw my tushy? Why didn't you _tell_ me? Ohhh, the horror!" she wailed as she covered her face with her hands, blushing furiously and absolutely mortified.

"Hey, hey, it was an extremely sexy and nice tushy, so you have _nothing_ to be ashamed of," he said as he dragged her hands away from her face, and pressed a reassuring kiss on her forehead before turning her around and pushed her towards the bathroom before giving her a playful slap on her buttocks. "Now go shower before I change my mind and join you!"

He gave another chuckle as he watched her face reddened again but obediently walked to the bathroom through the walk-in wardrobe. True to his word, he walked over to the unfurnished nursery room's attached bathroom and took a long cold shower to ease the arousal he still sported. Once he was done, he towelled himself dry and pulled on his boxers since he didn't have any access to his clothes in the other room. He returned to the master bedroom to find Elena walking out of the wardrobe in a cute tank top and pyjama shorts.

"Cute pjs! So, feel better?" he asked, noticing that her eyes lingered on his bare chest and abs when she saw him before she averted her eyes.

"Umm, yeah. Why are you _almost_ naked?" she asked as she dove right under the bed covers and pulled the sheet right up to her chin.

"Because my sweat pants are in the guest room, and I didn't want to wake the ladies in there. So, I'm stuck with my boxers. They don't make you uncomfortable, do they?" he asked, climbing into bed next to her hesitantly.

"N-no. Damon, I know we said that we'll have a real marriage and all, but I think that we should take some time to really get to know each other before we-we...ummm..." she trailed off, at a loss for words to describe them 'sleeping' together again.

"Before we...make love to each other? Fuck each other's brains out? Have passionate sex together? Do the horizontal tango? Perform the physical act of love? Which phrase do you prefer to use to describe us being lovers again?" he laughed quietly at her expression as she gulped nervously. She looked so cute when she was rattled.

"Before we make love again," she finally said in a whisper.

"Relax, Elena. I don't expect you to do anything that you're not ready for, and you're absolutely right; we need to start fresh and get to know each other. Maybe we can go out on a date one of these days. Preferably somewhere _without_ alcohol; you know how that'll turn out," he grinned, putting her completely at ease with his relaxed attitude.

"I'd like that. I'm really curious to see how you act on a first date when you don't pick up teenagers in a bar and seduce them into dancing barefoot with you," she smiled up at him as he grinned lazily and suddenly scooped her into his warm arms, with her back against his chest as he buried his face in her luxurious hair spread on the pillows.

"I promise I'll be a perfect gentleman on our date. I don't, however, guarantee that you won't wanna jump me at the end of the date when we come home. I can be _really_ charming if I want to," he teased as he breathed in her strawberry-scented hair and lavender shower gel she used in her shower. "Mmmm, you smell really delicious. I may need another cold shower again," he murmured against her ear as he wrapped his arm around her waist, his palm splayed possessively around her abdomen where their baby was.

Feeling contented and safe in his arms, she was already half asleep when she heard him murmuring behind her, but her mind was too drowsy to process what he said. Thinking that some form of respond was required of her, she just blurted out the only thing she was thinking of; "I love my knee pit," she mumbled sleepily just before she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep. Biting back a sudden urge to laugh at her comment, he looked down at her innocent face and placed a gentle peck on her cheek before snuggling her tighter against his body, feeling like all was right in his world again.

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><p>The next week passed by in a blur as Caroline kept Elena busy with finalising her own guests list and following up on RSVPs on the invitation cards that were sent out the previous week. Together with Rosalyn and Stefan, the four of them spent hours in the study room of the Salvatore mansion-most of the time on the phone making arrangements with guests who consisted mostly of business partners, clients and suppliers of Salvatore Corp. So far, a total of over three hundred people had RSVP'd but there were still more than half of that amount yet to confirm. A majority of the guests were from abroad so they had to arrange for hotel accommodations for them as well.<p>

Elena found herself growing increasingly fond of Damon's mother and brother after spending so much time with them in those few days. Much to Elena's relief, Giuseppe seldom made an appearance while she was there. She suspected that he was as reluctant to see her as much as she loathed seeing him as well. It was probably due to the fact that she was the only known female other than Rosalyn to stand up for herself and not bow down to him and his ridiculous expectations. And it was that quality of hers that earned Rosalyn's approval and affection, as if she was her own daughter.

Thanks to Caroline's perpetually big mouth, now everyone in their group including Rosalyn knew about Damon's 'proposal' to Elena in the food larder (since dubbed as The Proposal Pantry by Caroline), much to the delight of Jenna and Rosalyn. It seemed that their initial plot to get the two to fall in love with each other had worked like a charm and much sooner than expected.

That was why Rosalyn was positively beaming when Damon showed up at the study room unexpectedly earlier than usual after a hectic day at the office to ignore everyone else in the room and headed straight for Elena who was caught off-guard as he grabbed her head with two hands and pressed a lingering kiss on her. He ignored her futile attempts to push him away to avoid his public display of affection in front of his chuckling family and proceeded to give her the most romantic tongue-swirling kiss he has ever given her. She was blushing from head to toe when he finally released her but kept his arm around her shoulders as he turned around with a big grin and greeted the others.

"Hello Mother, Baby Bro, and Little-Blonde-Slave-Driver! I see you've been working my wife to the bone, as usual," he smirked at Caroline who rolled her eyes.

"Hardly! And we've _all_ worked our asses off every day here while you're sitting in the office daydreaming about Elena the whole day. You should be here, helping us since it's _your_ wedding!" Caroline scolded with her hands on her hip.

"Hey! I only daydream about her today, the rest of the time, I was _actually_ working. I'm not Executive Director for nothing, you know? Besides, I do my part for the wedding; I de-stress Elena every evening after she spends the day with you! I'm telling you, she would be curled up in a ball of frustration if it wasn't for me!"

"Don't listen to him, Care. I'm totally fine," Elena laughed. "Damon, what are you doing here so early? You don't usually get home by eight at night," she asked as she looked at her watch to see that he was three hours early today.

"Well, I came to rescue you from the unwanted company of an irritating blonde and I thought we'd have our first official date tonight. Shall we go? I wanna go," he said eagerly, longing to get her alone with him.

Elena looked to Caroline for permission, and when the blonde groaned and nodded her head, she skipped over to give her a grateful hug before turning to Rosalyn to plant a kiss on the older woman's cheek.

"You kids have fun, and Damon...make sure Lena gets plenty of rest and don't be out so late, all right?" Rosalyn warned good-naturedly as she patted Elena's cheek and smiled warmly at her future daughter-in-law.

"Yes, Mama Rosa. Jeez, you would think that _I'm_ the date picking up _your_ daughter!" he grumbled a little disgruntledly as he led Elena out of the mansion to his waiting car.

* * *

><p>Once, they've showered and changed into proper 'date clothes', he drove her to his favourite Italian restaurant that was run by an Italian family who has known Damon and his family since he was a small boy. It wasn't a fancy restaurant by New York standards; it was small, cosy and dimly lit, with dark oaken floors and red brick walls with pots and pans hanging haphazardly along the rough wall surfaces. Timber tables polished to glossy surfaces with red and white checked tablecloths completed the look of the charming little place.<p>

As Damon pulled out a chair to seat her, Elena looked around at the other patrons and saw that they were not the upper-classed snobby crowd she'd expected to see. Most of them were dressed simply and were greeted by name by the waiters of the restaurant.

"Damon, my boy! How have you been? Why haven't you come to see me for so long?" an elderly man with a big belly protruding out from his stained chef's uniform said as he approached their table and gave Damon a big hug.

"I'm good, old man! You look good, Tony, have you lost weight?" Damon teased, while Elena correctly assumed that he was being sarcastic judging from the width of the older man's belly.

"Ha ha ha, you cheeky boy, teasing an old man about his weight when you know full well how much I enjoy food! And who is this lovely young lady? It's Katherine, I presume?" his friendly gaze slid to Elena who stiffened in response to his enquiry.

"No, Tony, this is Elena Gilbert, my fiancée. We're getting married next weekend," Damon said casually as he felt Elena's discomfort at the mention of his ex.

"Ah, I apologize, my dear girl. Forgive this old man for his poor memory. You see, I was under the impression that this handsome devil was engaged to a woman named Katherine. I've never met her before and Damon hasn't been here for so long. It's so hard to keep up with the young ones nowadays. But, I will surely remember _you_, my dear Elena, for Damon never brought a girl to my humble restaurant before. My guess is now that you're getting married, he doesn't feel insecure to know that you won't be swayed by my handsome good looks, am I right, Damon?" Tony grinned.

"Oh, I'm still very much insecure about that. I'll be keeping an eye on you and Elena tonight, you be sure of that," Damon replied and winked at Elena.

"Come now, I can see how much in love you two are, Tony will not stand a chance with Elena, no matter how attractive I am. Now, what would you like to eat or do you want me to surprise you?" the jovial man asked, looking to Elena for her answer.

"Yes, please surprise me; I'm sure I will love _whatever_ you serve up, if it tastes as good as you look, Tony," she beamed at him, flashing him a cheeky flirtatious look.

"Ma chérie! You have some wit about you! I love it! My boy, you hold on to this one, she's a keeper, she is!" Tony declared as he gave an affectionate pat on Elena's hand on the table. "Dinner will be served momentarily. Please excuse me while I cook up something special for you!" with that, he spun around and entered the kitchen.

Elena burst out in a giggle as she watched his retreated back and turned back around to find Damon watching her with an odd expression on his face.

"You're just amazing, you know that? Tony is _extremely_ protective of me, but within minutes of meeting you, he totally approved of you. And I think you've also usurped my spot as my mother's favourite. How do you do that? How do you make everyone fall in love with you within a few minutes of meeting you?" he wondered, his expression sincere.

"Oh, I don't know about _that_! My own father doesn't love me, and neither does yours, for that matter. I guess some people are just immune to me, that's all," she said as she lowered her eyes, refraining from saying that _he_ was also not in love with her, at least not yet.

"That's because they are both heartless bastards and incapable of love. You're entirely not to be blamed at all for their lack of feelings. Believe me when I tell you that you're an easy person to love," her eyes glowed at his compliment and they returned each other's smiles.

"So tell me, do you normally compliment your dates lavishly on the very first date? Can you tell me all your moves?" she asked, sipping the glass of orange juice served by one of Tony's waiter at Damon's instruction.

"I don't have any 'moves' as you call it, and no, I don't usually compliment my dates on how amazing they are. That's usually what the women tell _me_."

"So how come you've never brought anyone here before? It seems like it would be a great place to bring your dates to. I mean, you've been with Katherine for a while, right? How come Tony haven't met her before?" Elena asked with curiosity although she hated the fact that she had to ask about his gorgeous ex.

Damon sighed. "This just doesn't seem to be the type of restaurants one brings Katherine to. She's the sort to go for expensive, lavish places surrounded by rich snobs that runs in her and her father's circle. She would never be caught dead in a small cosy place like this. She was so used to having the best of everything, she was spoilt like that. She's not as down-to-earth as you are, and I'm glad for that. Anyway, Tony would _never_ have liked her. She-she's not a nice person. Let's not talk about my ex, we're ruining our first date. Let's talk about you," he trained his clear blue eyes on her as he changed the subject. He refused to let Katherine spoil his date night with Elena, not after he just spent the earlier part of the day handling the paperwork she had requested from him.

Throughout the week, Kat had been hounding him for a copy of his divorce papers with Elena and practically forced him to sign the documents in front of a lawyer. He knew that she would make good on her threat to manipulate her father into withdrawing his support to his company, and if he let that happen, his father would not hesitate to kick him out of the company and perhaps even disown him. No, he couldn't take the chance of just destroying all his hard work he had done for his company, not when his father was on the verge of retiring. If he didn't love his job and his company so much, he would have turned his back on his father's threats and to hell with Katherine and the Lockwoods. But he couldn't just stand by and watch his family's business go down the drain without at least putting up a fight. So, he gritted his teeth and signed the damned documents hoping that his stupidity wouldn't turn around and bite him in the ass. He could still recall Katherine's smug face when she left with a copy of papers clutched tightly in her grip.

"Me? There's nothing about me that you don't already know. Dead parents, hateful father, haven't met my real mother before she died, crazy aunt who's more like a teenager than I am, brother who's in Italy, and one ex-boyfriend who's really just a good friend. There, everything you needed to know about Elena Gilbert in fifteen seconds or less. My life is _not_ interesting at all," Elena's voice snapped his attention back from his thoughts about Katherine and her scheming ways to the delectable creature seated across from him.

"Au contraire, I find you incredibly fascinating. So, why isn't your brother in your 'confirmed attending' guest list? I would think that you would want your own brother to be here for your wedding; it's only like _the_ biggest day of your life, well, next to giving birth and winning the lottery," he smirked. "Why isn't he coming? Does he even know?"

"Yes, Jenna told him. Well, he just started his student exchange programme in Italy for like a month before our parents' accident. His arts course is for six months, so that means that he won't be back for another three and a half months. After the accident, Jenna and I pooled all our money and paid for Jeremy's plane ticket so that he could come back and attend the funeral. And since John is now in full control of the finances, I highly doubt that he'd be willing to fork out money for Jeremy to attend my wedding when he can't even stand the _sight_ of me. So, no, he's not attending the wedding, but I'll make sure that I'll introduce you two when he gets back in a few months' time. I think you'll really get along; he's a nice kid, very caring and protective-a lot like you in that aspect," she smiled softly at him and then gave a start when Tony re-emerged from the kitchen with two plates of steaming pasta; hers, a Ravioli Osso Bucco pasta, and his, a Gnocchi Bolognese.

"Buon appetito, ma chérie, Damon. Both of you enjoy your evening, yes?" Tony bowed and grinned as he hurried off again.

As soon as Elena tasted her ravioli, she closed her eyes and gave a low moan of enjoyment of the exquisite taste of Tony's fine craftsmanship. Due to her morning sickness, she had trouble keeping any food down and so she worried that her stomach might reject this cuisine with a healthy serving of cheese and herbs, but apparently, Italian food agreed with her. She sighed in satisfaction as she savoured the way the ravioli just melted in her mouth as soon as her tongue touched it, and she didn't notice the way Damon's eyes smouldered with desire at the sounds she was making.

His own food untouched, he found himself frozen with a fork in his right hand and unable to tear his eyes away from her face as she chewed slowly with her eyes still closed. When he caught sight of her pink tongue snaking out to lick her lips, his fork fell from his fingers in a loud clatter, interrupting her from her trance. Her eyes flew open in surprise and she gasped when she saw his darkened eyes narrowed on her lips, his fingers gripping the edge of the table as if he was holding himself back from leaping across to bend her over the table.

"Elena, stop making those sounds if you don't want us to be kicked out by Tony for inappropriate behaviour! You have _no_ idea what I want to do to you right now," he bit out through clenched jaws as his eyes flashed threateningly.

"But-but this is so obscenely good, Damon, here, have a bite," she offered, her arm reaching out across the table with a spoonful of ravioli in front of his mouth.

"No, thank you, Elena, and don't use the word 'obscene' and 'bite' in the same sentence _ever_ again. In fact, can you just eat your dinner and not make another sound? I mean it, not a peep, or I can't guarantee I'll act like a gentleman as I promised. I'm holding on by a thread here, Elena, so please can you just do me this favour?" he managed to implore as he stiffly began to stuff his dinner down his throat without tasting anything. He just wanted to finish eating and get Elena out of there without hurting Tony's feelings with unfinished plates, or worse, untouched food he so lovingly prepared from them both.

Elena hid a knowing smile behind her napkin as she forced herself to remain quiet while finishing her dinner. All thoughts of enjoying her food were gone as she now enjoyed watching him squirm in his seat as he ate hurriedly. Her stubborn self was so tempted to push him further, just out of curiosity as to how he would react, but then she hesitated, not willing to risk being the _recipient_ of his reaction. She knew that he wanted her; but perhaps it was realizing how much she wanted him back was the problem. If he decided to seduce her, she'd be willing to bet on her life that she wouldn't have the strength to say no, nor would she want to. She was treading on dangerous territory here, as she found herself wishing that he'd lose control and just take what he wanted, consequences be damned. Her only worry was that she'd scream out that she loved him in the throes of passion, something she wasn't willing to admit even to herself yet.

"Are you done?" he asked curtly, eyeing her almost empty plate. She nodded wordlessly and watched him threw a few notes onto the table and pulled her not-too-gently with him towards the exit. "Tony, we're leaving, thanks for the fabulous dinner!" he yelled towards the kitchen.

"Wait, but you haven't yet had your dessert, Da-" Tony objected when he peeked his head out from the kitchen.

"Oh, we'll have our dessert, just not _here_. Ciao!" Damon flashed his old friend an apologetic smile as he chased Elena out before she could bid Tony farewell.

Tony shook his head with a deep chuckle as they disappeared out the door. "That poor girl is going to be so sore tomorrow."

* * *

><p>As soon as they reached his Chevy Camaro, he had her whole body pressed up against the side of the car as he claimed her mouth with his own, his fingers buried deep in her long hair. There was little she could do but to hold on to him, praying and hoping that there weren't anybody around to witness their scorching kiss as his tongue probed her mouth. She could feel a hard bulge against her thighs and she felt herself getting wet at the images that went through her mind at that moment.<p>

He kept his lips on hers while he moved her body to the side to open the passenger door and pushed her inside so that she landed sprawled across the front seat as he followed her down, still locking lips with hers. He groaned out loud as he forced himself to pull away from her long enough to move around the car and enter through the driver's seat. He reached over to grab her face to his again as he started the car and fumbled around for his seatbelt. He gently pushed her back into her seat as he tried to concentrate on driving them safely home but she had other ideas.

Feeling bold all of a sudden, she told herself that she was only trying to push his buttons the way he had pushed hers with that arousing kiss outside the car, so she leaned over and nibbled his earlobe and then made her way down the side of his neck.

"Elena, stop or you're gonna cause an accident," he growled and tried to turn his head around to shake her off, but she stubbornly refused to be deterred.

"You teased me, and now I'm teasing you back. Tit for tat," she breathed in his ear, causing a tingle along his spine.

"I _kissed_ you, but what you're doing is foreplay! All right, I'll show _you_ tit for tat," he threatened as he pushed her back and lifted her left leg until it laid across his lap. Without any warning, his fingers searched for the sensitive skin at the back of her knee and pressed firmly, eliciting a long moan from her. Soon, she was breathing heavily and he looked over at her to find her eyes squeezed tightly shut and her mouth gaping open. Her face and neck were flushed as she gasped for breath and made noises that made him even harder than he already was. He sped through red lights and exceeded speed limits as he raced towards home before he lost all control of his mind.

"Da-damoonnnnnn, please," she begged, not knowing what she was begging for; whether for him to stop or to keep going until her whole body exploded. She'd make an educated guess and go for the latter. His talented fingers kept on rubbing, alternating between soft and hard strokes and soon, her breathing changed and she started arching her back, straining for release. At that precise moment, she felt the car jerked to a stop and the next thing she knew, he had her out of the car and they were stumbling into their house and clawing at each others' clothes.

She had his shirt off by the time they reached the foot of the stairs. She reached up and pressed her lips to his eagerly as they clumsily made their way upstairs while he unzipped her skirt and pushed them off her. The next items of clothing to go were her blouse and his belt. By the time they got to the top of the stairs and across the landing to burst through the door of the master bedroom, his dark jeans were around his ankle. He kicked them off as they fell onto the bed, with her landing on top of him, her wet core rubbing against his throbbing member.

"Wait, wait, Elena, are you sure about this? We said we'd wait until you were ready. I don't want you to wake up tomorrow and regret what happened between us tonight," he panted as he looked up at her desire-filled eyes.

"I never regretted the first time we slept together, I'm not gonna regret this now, so shut up and kiss me, Damon," she commanded, and then they continued where they left off. Lying flat on his back, he slid the straps of her bra off her shoulders and rained kisses down her neck and her shoulders before he pushed her bra cups down, exposing her erect nipples. She arched her back and gave a high-pitched shriek when his lips wrapped around a hard tip while his palm cupped the other one. Her breast felt different somehow, heavier, fuller, compared to the first night they spent together. Granted, they were both drunk and memories were hazy, but he distinctly remembered when he thought how perfectly her breasts fit in his hands then. Her pregnancy must have led to the enlarged size, and ripened her body in all the right places.

He flipped them around so that she was pinned beneath him on the mattress as he made his way lower down her body, his lips kissing her stomach, still somewhat flat except for a tiny hard bump where his baby grew. Tenderness flooded through him at the thought of her body changing as their baby grew inside her. She would look so beautiful with her body swollen as her pregnancy advanced later on. He dipped lower to swirl a wet tongue into her belly button, and her body jerked at the action. He pulled her lacy boy-shorts down the length of her long legs and unhooked her bra so that she was now naked under his hot gaze.

She looked down at him shyly as he parted her thighs and groaned at the sight of her wet-coated nether lips. He bent down and tentatively ran his tongue down the length of her slit, causing her hips to jerk off the bed. He continued to explore her thoroughly, her fingers buried in his raven-black hair as she pressed his head in place as he pleased her with his talented tongue. His fingers parted wet folds to expose the hard nub at the top of her thighs and he flicked his tongue repeatedly on the sensitive button until she writhed and moaned under him. She came completely undone with a few more swipes of his tongue and she continued to cum as he wrapped his soft lips around the bud and sucked deeply. Her cries filled his ears like music as her whole body shook and quivered uncontrollably.

The moment she recovered, he moved up her body and claimed her lips again, letting her taste herself on his tongue. She felt incredibly naughty to be kissing him after she knew where his lips had been but he had a way of bringing out the wild side in her, even though she was totally inexperienced in sex.

Eager to learn how to please him as much as he did to her, she pushed his chest so that he now lied down on the bed and she bent over his body, her lips exploring his chest and abs as she made her way down. He was sighing deeply as her tongue licked down his body and then her hand was suddenly in his boxers, her fingers wrapped around his length, her reaction one of shock at the size of his erection.

"I can't imagine how you were ever able to fit inside me without tearing me apart," she breathed out shakily, a little nervous now at the thought of him entering her with that...'baton' was the only word that came to mind.

"Don't worry about that. Just...touch me," he instructed, longing to feel her touch on him again. She pushed his boxer down and threw it to the other end of the room and finally feasted her eyes on him. She reached out a finger and experimentally stroked the engorged head and the little opening on the tip that was leaking pre-cum, making him moan out his approval. Curious to know what he tasted like, she slid her tongue over the tip softly, as if afraid that she might hurt him.

"Elena," he sighed, unable to take more of her torture. He knew that she was curious about sex and she wanted to explore his reactions to her ministrations due to her limited exposure to it, but there were only so much a man could take. His hips jolted off her bed when she ran a finger down the shaft and over the sensitive skin of his scrotum. Unable to stand anymore of her teasing, he sat up and pulled her up to straddle his waist and positioned her opening directly on top of him. He leaned back down and slowly pushed the tip of his penis into her, making her shudder as she felt him enter her. He stopped when he was just an inch in her, letting her body adjust itself around him.

"I'm not going to move, Elena. I'll let you decide how much of me you want inside you, so whenever you're ready, just move your hips down and up," he told her, wanting her to be in control this time.

"You mean like this?" she asked as she pushed herself down, gasping when she felt him filled her completely.

"Christ! You were supposed to take it slowly," he growled, his eyes closing with pleasure as he felt her muscles around him.

"Oops, sorry," she pushed herself up again until he was almost completely out of her. Tentatively, she tried to control the movement of her hips so that he was sliding in and out of her smoothly, her juices making it easier for him to enter her. Once she got used to the rhythm, she increased the speed and depth of her thrusting and soon, she had him all the way inside her, driving him crazy as she let go of her inhibitions. Wanting to change the angle he was entering her, he sat up and hugged her body close to him as he claimed her lips in a searing kiss while bending her body backwards. The new angle had him rubbing against the top of her inner walls, and soon she was screaming his name as she had her second orgasm, this one stronger than the first.

"God, I love the way you scream my name as you cum; I love the sounds you make; I love the way your body fit perfectly with mine; I love how you make me crave your touch just by looking at me; I love the sweet taste of your juices in my mouth; and most of all," he rambled on without thinking as he kept on thrusting into her, his hands on her hips to control her movements, "I love-ohhhhhh Christ, I'm cumming!" he yelled out just as he erupted deep within her, even as she was still quivering around him, her inner muscles milking him for all he's got. She collapsed on top of him with an exhausted sigh and they laid still as they tried to catch their breaths. He turned them to their sides and she fell in an unmoving heap beside him, not even stirring when he moved the bed covers to cover over them. He gathered her limp body back into his arms and sighed with satisfaction as he drifted slowly off into an exhausted sleep.

_I love you_. That was the last thought that entered his head before he lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>The day of the wedding came by swiftly after that. She woke up at almost noon next to Caroline and Bonnie on either side of her in her big bed and memories of her hen night Caroline had planned for her came flooding back in a rush.<p>

The four of them including Jenna hired a limo that drove them around New York City with the sun roof open. Since she wasn't allowed to drink any alcohol, she drank plenty of virgin margaritas and pretended to be drunk. It was just much more fun that way. Her friends and aunt were _actually_ drunk so they didn't notice nor commented on her fake drunkenness. They stopped at various nightclubs and danced with strangers, and even went up on stage to sing Eternal Flame with a live band in one of the pubs. They spent the rest of the night in a karaoke bar somewhere, where they dared each other to sing songs in chipmunk voices and even replacing the first alphabet of a lyric with another letter; they received a lot of applause from random strangers on their twisted rendition of 'My Fart Will Go On', formerly sung by Celine Dion.

The guys didn't fare any better; Ric, Damon and Stefan ended up getting drunk in a gay bar, (unbeknownst to them at the time) and they didn't think anything of it when a few guys started dirty dancing against them. Granted, they were too wasted to realize that anything was amiss, but one would have thought it weird to have a strange good-looking guy eyeing Damon up and down and asking him to dance with him. If that didn't tip the guys off that something was terribly wrong, then the fact that Ric was a recipient of a very wet kiss from a huge biker dude with pierced tongue should have raised a red flag or two. Sadly, these lads must have checked their brains at the door because none of them had the sense to leave. Needless to say, it took a lightweight Ric to pass out at the bar and almost got carried out by the biker dude and his friends through the back door that finally alerted Stefan and Damon to drag his worthless ass back with them out the front doors, and never looked back again. The brothers swore never to speak of that night again but decided to play a prank on Ric by taking off his pants and shirt, leaving him in only a pair of boxers and socks as they left him still passed out in a hotel room booked under the name Butch McGee. To add to the hilarity of the situation, Damon had a great idea to open a few packets of condoms and sprinkled them with water before tossing them haphazardly around Ric's sleeping form. Then, they set his phone alarm to go off at noon the next day since he was the best man after all.

So, back to the day of the wedding, the girls woke up and got ready as they showered, changed and waited for the make-up artist and hairstylist to come by the house. Three hours later, the ladies were ready; Caroline and Bonnie wore their hair up with natural make-up and dressed in their similar yellow bridesmaid strapless gowns. They waited impatiently as they paced the floor of the master bedroom until Elena emerged from the walk-in wardrobe in her ivory wedding gown, completing the look with flawless make-up, her hair in big curls secured in half in a loose chignon at the nape and the other half left cascading down her back. A veil was pinned at the crown of her head. The girls gasped and gaped at the sight of the bride until a doorbell rang downstairs. Caroline flew to open the door while Bonnie remained upstairs with Elena.

"So, are you nervous? Happy? Excited?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes. All of the above. Oh, I hope he's happy to marry me. Do you think that he'll change his mind?" Elena asked as she fidgeted and wrung her hands.

"Of course not, Elena. Anyone could see that he has feelings for you. You have both been so happy with each other that we'd all be idiots if we didn't see how in love you guys are. You are, aren't you? In love with Damon?"

"Yes, yes I am," Elena admitted. "Oh Bonnie, I'm so stupid, how could I let that happen? I've known him for less than a month and I've already _slept_ with him, become _pregnant_ with his baby, and now I've fallen for him too. Am I wrong to want what I want? Is this all happening too fast?"

"No! It's beyond obvious that the feeling is mutual. His face just lights up when he's around you and you should see yourself when you're with him too. You're so attuned to him that you just react to him even before he does anything. I think that he makes you happy, and for that I'm grateful that you found him when you did, even though the circumstances may be a little extreme, but hey, this makes a great love story to tell your kids and grandkids one day. I'm _really_ happy for you, Elena," Bonnie said with a smile as she reached out to envelope her best friends in a hug, both trying to hold back tears so that they won't ruin their make-up.

"Elena! Damon sent a surprise for you! Can you come down here?" Caroline's voice called out from downstairs. Gasping with excitement, Elena and Bonnie ran downstairs as carefully as they could without tripping. A tall young man stood at the foyer with his hands in his pockets. His face broke into a wide grin as he saw Elena appearing on the stairs.

"Surprise! You didn't think I'd miss my own sister's wedding, did you?" the young man said as he opened his arms wide and waited for Elena to run right into them.

"Jer! Oh my God, Jer, is that really you?" Elena exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug.

"Yes, it's me. You look _amazing_, by the way."

"Thank you. But how come you're here? I didn't expect you back for another three months or so," Elena said.

"Oh, you should thank Damon for that. That husband of yours, he's a swell guy. I'm not just saying that because he booked a first class ticket flight for me to attend your wedding, but honestly, he's really great and friendly. I approve," he declared as he grinned down at me.

"I'm so happy that you're here, Jer. This is really the icing on the cake for me. It's gonna be one hell of a day, here in New York. It's gonna be a day where dreams come true, I know it. By the way, you've met Caroline, right?" Elena belatedly realized her manners as she forgot to introduce her new friend to her brother.

"Yes, we introduced ourselves. And, Bonnie!" Jer turned his head to greet the other brunette," You look absolutely gorgeous," he told her with an admiring gaze as she let out a giggle.

"Oh, thanks Jer. You look so grownup all of a sudden. Italy must have been good to you," Bonnie said, unable to look away from him.

"Hey you guys, I hate to break this reunion up, but we have to get going. The church ceremony starts at five p.m. and we only have a half an hour more to go," Caroline reminded gently.

"Okay, Care. Jer, we'll talk more later, okay? Come on, we have a wedding to attend," Elena exclaimed as she made her way out of the house and they four of them piled into a waiting limousine to take them to the church.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the Salvatore mansion, a pale and exhausted-looking Ric showed up at the house, looking for the brothers to shed some light to the previous night's events. Damon and Stefan were in Damon's old bedroom getting ready when Ric burst into the room in an almost panic-attack.<p>

"What the hell _happened_ last night, you guys?" he almost screamed.

"What? How do you mean? Before or after you left with the biker dude?" Stefan asked with a straight face.

"I left with a biker dude? Why the hell didn't you guys stop me?" Ric grabbed his hair in frustration as he waited for the whole story.

"We were so wasted, man. Besides, you didn't _want_ our help. You said that you knew what you were doing and that you were getting laid no matter what. And that was after you had some biker dude's tongue down your throat. It was _really_ nasty, man. It's not something I expected to see on the eve of my wedding," Damon bit back a smile as he saw Ric's face grew increasingly pale.

"Umm, so I have a question. Have either of you...ever...had anal sex?" Ric asked hesitantly.

"What? Ewww! No! Dude, what's wrong with you? You don't go around asking people that! Should we be worried about you?" Damon inquired as he arranged his face to look disgusted. Stefan had turned his body towards the window by now, his shoulders suspiciously shaking.

"I thought anal sex was supposed to hurt like hell, but I don't feel...anything. Guys, I think I was sexually assaulted last night. I woke up this morning in a strange hotel room, dressed only in socks and boxers. The worst part of it was that there were used condoms discarded all around me. God, I'm gonna be so scarred for life! Jenna's gonna break up with me. Should I tell her?" Ric paced the length of the room as he nervously considered his next course of action.

Damon couldn't hold it in anymore. He snorted and then burst out laughing, his whole body shaking uncontrollably as he doubled over the bed and gasped for breath. Stefan immediately joined in, unable to keep up the pretence anymore as he held his hands over his stomach, feeling his muscles clenching as his laughter vibrated through his body. Ric's eyes narrowed suspiciously on the two brothers and came to the right conclusion.

"There was no Butch McGee, was there?" his tone made the brothers erupt into new fit of giggles. "You guys planted the condoms, didn't you? What about the kiss with the biker dude, was that a joke too? You guys are such jerks!" he exclaimed in disgust.

"We'll admit to the hotel room and the condoms, but unfortunately, the kiss with that horrible biker dude was in fact true. So was the entire evening we spent dirty dancing with a few gay guys," Stefan verified, much to Ric's disappointment.

"You-you mean I had a dude's tongue in my mouth? Down my throat? Excuse me!" Ric choked out before he rushed to the bathroom and proceeded to empty his stomach into the toilet bowl.

Still chuckling a little, Damon turned to his brother and asked, "Do you think _he_ got knocked up by that biker dude last night?"

The brothers let out a loud guffaw at that thought.

**/(o^o)\**

After Ric got over his episode at the mansion, the three men got dressed and made their way to the church with half an hour to spare. The church was already partly filled by now as they waited for more to arrive and then the bridal party was expected to arrive in half an hour's time. Damon went around speaking to his guests, most of them were relatives and business associates. His blood ran cold when he caught sight of a lone figure standing by himself near the entrance. He immediately stalked over to him, intending to forcibly remove him if he had to.

"John Gilbert! What the hell are you doing here?" Damon demanded as soon as he reached the man.

"Attending my daughter's wedding. What's it to you?" John replied flippantly.

"How dare you still show your face here after what you've done to Elena! You kicked your own daughter out without any money and without a roof over her head and you had the balls to show up on her wedding day? That's a bit absurd, even by your standards. Elena doesn't want to see you, so I suggest you leave now before I forcibly remove you!" Damon threatened, his temper rising at the sight of the man who caused Elena so much pain.

"She should be grateful that I kicked her out! If she weren't so desperate, how could she have managed to convince you to marry her? A rich and successful guy like you would never give a girl like Elena the time of day if it was any other circumstances. Now my daughter is going to marry into a prominent family here. As her father, I couldn't be more proud of her. As soon as you guys get married, I'll get Elena to abort the bastard child she's been carrying and then you guys can divorce, earning her a nice and quick chunk of change. Hey, at least that slut daughter of mine was good for _something_," John smirked and then the next thing he knew, he was on the floor with an aching jaw and bleeding nose.

Damon had punched him with all the strength that he possessed, furious that this-this-this pond scum dared to say such hurtful things about Elena. He was glad that Elena wasn't there to witness this, or she would have been so upset. The commotion at the back of the room had attracted some attention from various people who were seated nearby. Within seconds, Giuseppe and Stefan materialised beside Damon who was glaring down at the bleeding man on the floor.

"Damon! What is the meaning of this? You're the bridegroom, for God's sake! Can't you pull yourself together and act like an Executive Director instead of a hooligan brawling out on the street?" Giuseppe hissed in a low voice.

"Father, this man showed up here uninvited and unwanted and dared to throw insults and threats at us. If anything, I'm just sorry I didn't break his neck!" Damon bit out furiously.

"Okay, calm down everyone. Damon, Elena and the others are almost here, so why don't you clean up and compose yourself while you wait for her. I'll get this guy out of here," Stefan promised and heaved a sigh of relief when Damon nodded and stalked away. Stefan turned back to glare at him and reached down to drag the man up to his feet.

"Hey! Hey! Get your hands off me! I can very well walk out on my own! By the way, this isn't over yet. You tell Damon Salvatore that this game is far from over between us. You warn that son of a bitch to be careful wherever he goes from now on. I'll pay him back for his 'kindness' in multiple folds later on. You be sure to get that message to him," John nodded and escaped through the entrance.

Fifteen minutes later, Elena and her bridal party had arrived and then everyone was on their feet, waiting to catch a glimpse of the future Mrs. Salvatore. So far, no one had met her besides the groom's immediate family, so her identity remained mysterious. All they knew was that she was a great beauty who had captured the heart of the heir to the empire of the Salvatore Corporation. The organ played the familiar tune of the wedding march and everyone turned to the entrance to see Alaric and Bonnie walking in slowly followed by Stefan and Caroline. And then, after a brief pause, a vision in ivory stepped into the church, her arm linked to a tall young man. The crowd erupted into gasps and excited whispers when they finally caught sight of the alluring young woman who seemed to be floating down the aisle.

Hearing his guests' reaction, Damon turned his head slightly to look down the aisle and what he saw took his breath away. His heart burst with pride at the sight of his young bride looking simply stunning in her elegant ivory gown in an A-line skirt with soft, romantic details from the waist down to the back of a small train. The strapless bodice had ruched organza and a satin band with Swarovski crystals defining the natural waistline. His blushing bride looked positively glowing with excitement and joy as she finally made her way to stand beside him. As Jeremy placed her hand onto Damon's as a symbol of giving her away, the younger man grinned at his new brother-in-law before he went to sit beside Jenna.

Damon squeezed her hand as he held her tightly in his, unable to believe that she was finally his. All thoughts about John Gilbert and his company's business problems faded away in that moment. In that moment, he was simply a boy holding his girl's hand, making a pledge to love and cherish her forever. And it was all that mattered, really.

* * *

><p>Elena threw back her head and laughed gaily as she danced with her brother. Damon was watching her like a hawk the entire night, completely entranced by her beauty and the personality shining out of her every pore. She may be young, but she had layers to her that he had enjoyed peeling off as he got to know her better over the course of the past few weeks.<p>

They were also incredibly compatible sexually, as they discovered every morning and night for the past week. Since their second first date, Elena had opened up a little bit at a time and Damon had enjoyed showing her a whole other world of amazing sex and the various positions an agile body can achieve. In return, Elena had showed him how inexperience may actually help their sex life as she simply explored his body in an agonizingly slow and torturous manner, driving him insane and perpetually at the brink of an intense orgasm. She taught him that sometimes, less is more.

A low female voice materialized beside him and interrupted his musings about Elena. He turned towards the brunette and cringed inwardly at the sight of her with her date, Mason Lockwood.

"If it isn't my ex-fiancée," Katherine said by way of greeting. "I guess I should congratulate the happy couple, but I don't _want_ to. It's amazing, isn't it, the wonders of make-up and how it can turn the plain jane I saw the other day at our party into an almost presentable bride. What do you think of the bride, Mason?" she asked as she turned to her date, her hand caressing his chest in an attempt to make Damon jealous.

"The bride? She's pretty enough, but nowhere _near_ your league, Kat," Mason declared loudly as he smirked at Damon.

"You are so sweet, Mason. You always know the right things to say. Darling, will you be a dear and get me a glass of wine?" Katherine purred and watched him nod and disappear into the crowd.

"Damon, I must say it upsets me when I see you watching your new wife in that possessive way. You don't expect me to believe that you're attracted to that little-miss-nobody, do you? Come on, I know you. She's hardly your type!"

"Oh? And what's my type, Kat? Spoilt rich women who spend daddy's money and later, their husbands'? Or self-absorbed cheating bitches who thinks they are better than everyone else?" Damon remarked drily.

"You have a lot of nerve! I'm twice the woman she'll ever be! What is she? She is nothing! A nobody! A poor little teenager who was stupid enough to get herself knocked up. She didn't even have the sense to get herself an abortion and spare her own reputation. And you owe me an apology, Damon. I'm not the spoilt little rich girl you think I am. I have my own money that I made myself, with my own two hands. I do not need my father or a husband to spoon feed me! I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, and one day, I'll be so filthy rich that I'll buy you and I'll buy my father, you see if I don't!" he eyes flashed angrily as she looked at his expressionless face.

"I'm sorry, Katherine," Damon said softly and he watched in satisfaction when her eyes softened at the sound of his apology," but I just wanted to say that the only way you'll be twice the woman my _wife'll_ ever be is if you grew fat from all the bullshit you've been feeding yourself! Good night and enjoy the party," he smirked and walked away, leaving her staring at him with her mouth gaping open.

Elena had been watching Damon from the corner of her eyes since Jeremy claimed her dance card from him. She met his gaze a few times after, and she shivered inwardly at his penetrating gaze that she felt as if she was stripped bare for all to see. She had been laughing with Jeremy when she caught sight of Damon and his ex in deep conversation. Although they were in a room full of people, it certainly seemed that they were wrapped up in their own world as they exchanged words. Much to her relief, she witnessed Damon walking away from Katherine, leaving her glaring at him furiously. Elena wondered what their conversation was about. She didn't have time to delve into it further when Stefan claimed his turn as the official welcome-to-the-family dance as the brother-in-law. She was fond of Stefan, he seemed to be a genuine guy and perfect for Caroline. She wished that she could play match-maker and bring them two together.

As her dance came to an end, Stefan whirled her around for a last twirl and then he let go suddenly and she ended up in Damon's arms again. He grinned down at her lazily, noting her flushed cheeks from all the dancing she'd been doing.

"Mrs. Salvatore, how are you enjoying your wedding reception?"

"Mr. Salvatore, I've enjoyed myself thoroughly, thank you. It's not every day a girl gets to play dress up and pretend to be a princess for one night. It's also unheard of when that princess gets to go home with her very own prince who won't turn into a frog at the stroke of midnight," she teased.

"Oh, sometimes, fairy tales do come true, my dear. I know mine has. You have no idea how many people already came up to me and congratulated me on making a splendid catch such as yourself this evening. I daresay the whole room has been enchanted by you, Elena, and I don't blame them. You _are_ an enchanting creature, and I intend to fall under your spell tonight. In fact, I can't wait to get you alone later on our first night as husband and wife," he whispered huskily as his eyes smouldered with desire.

"On that note, I believe I need to go and freshen up. Will you wait for me?" She asked, knowing full well he won't leave her tonight.

"I'll wait forever if I have to," he smiled down at her and lifted the back of her hand to his lips. She squeezed his hand and made her way to the ladies' room.

Once inside, she glanced around to find the place empty except for a few closed doors at the stalls. She turned back to the mirror and studied her flushed face. She composed herself for a few seconds and was about to leave when the door swung open to reveal Katherine Pierce. She smiled at Elena haughtily as she came in and approached her.

"I suppose I ought to offer you my congratulations, Erina," she said in that annoying voice of hers.

"It's Elena, actually."

"Whatever," Kat shrugged indifferently. "I must say that I misjudged you when we first met at the mansion. I didn't think that you were the type that was clever enough to figure out a way to entrap Damon Salvatore into marrying you. Getting yourself pregnant and showing up at his house in front of his parents, now _that's_ pure genius. I couldn't have done better myself. But enjoy it while it lasts, Erina, because you only have one year to play the charade of a doting wife before he divorced you and marry me," she stated smugly, enjoying Elena's troubled expression.

"No, he's not marrying you. We're not divorcing. This isn't some sort of charade we're playing. Our marriage is real, so are our feelings. Just because he dumped you for me doesn't mean that you get to say all these hurtful things on our wedding day."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You're such a naive little girl, aren't you? Don't you get it? We're not broken up! He married you because his father wanted an heir from him, an heir that I didn't want to bear. You provided the best solution to our problem by bearing a child for Damon, whom he'll keep, and then we'll get married, and I'll legally adopt that brat of yours and we will all live happily ever after. Well, except for you, of course. You may have some money as a settlement, but you'd have lost your husband and your child, all because you stupidly agreed to the whole arrangement. I almost feel sorry for you, Erina. You may bear his name now, but I will always have his heart," Katherine practically purred.

"No, that's not true! Damon said we'd be a true family, regardless of what his father wants. His father doesn't have any power over him; Damon makes his _own_ choices, and you may not like it, but he chose _me_. He knows that I'll never give up my child and he wants to give us a chance at a real family."

"Don't be so gullible. If you knew Damon at all, you'd know that what he loves the most is his company. And he will not risk anything that will put his business in jeopardy. And that's why he'll marry me eventually, because Salvatore Corporation needs my father and his contacts to keep his company afloat. If he loses me, he'll lose the company. His own father will disown him if that happens. And Damon will _never_ turn his back on his family. I'm only here to warn you so that you'll know what you got yourself into. If you're a smart girl, you'd protect yourself by not falling in love with the man who is going to leave you. He'll come back to me, that's why I still live in his apartment. What kind of man marries a woman but then keeps his ex in his apartment? Perhaps that man's ex is his mistress? You know, Erina, I like you. You have spunk. I'm perfectly fine with sharing my boyfriend with you, but are you fine with sharing your _husband_ with me? You think about that as you spend tonight in his bed. Oh, and congratulations again on your nuptials. I just love weddings, don't you?" she smirked and sauntered out of the room, leaving a heartbroken Elena standing in the middle of the bathroom.

She blinked her eyes rapidly to get rid of the tears that had gathered there, struggling to retain control over her emotions. She will not let Katherine rattle her. She will not let that bitch spoil her wedding day. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then she slowly made her way back out the door. She steeled herself to face the world out there, the world that didn't belong to her anymore.

When the door creaked shut behind her, one of the toilet stalls' door swung open to reveal a woman who was visibly upset. That woman wiped the tears that escaped onto her cheeks and struggled to maintain her composure.

That woman was Caroline.

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><p><strong>So sorry for the late update, but I've been writing this chapter for 2 days straight. It's my longest chapter yet; over 12,000 over words!<strong>

**I'm so sorry if there are any grammatical errors or whatever in this chapter, but it's 6a.m. in the morning where I am, and I just want to get this chapter out now, instead of keeping you waiting, so i didn't bother to proofread anything. I will catch the errors tomorrow (or later today actually) and make the amendments later on. My eyes are now almost crossed from lack of sleep. **

**A lot of things going on in this chapter, so I'll let you figure out what you make of it. This is where their story really begins as they spend the next one year together. **

**What do you think? I appreciate reviews, so make sure you send me some comments. I already know you're gonna hate Katherine and John, so what else? Give me details, people!**

**Like it, Love it or Hate it, tell me by reviewing!**


	10. Chapter 10

**OMG, Jeremy was the ultimate party pooper ever! People who've watched episode 3x19 would know what I mean! Who else thinks that Damon should have super sped Elena somewhere far far away from the motel, raise your hand!**

**I hear ya! Okay, on to a more subdued mood...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: New Deal *wink*<strong>

Elena walked out of the ladies' room in a daze, letting the crowd's noises swirl around her as she stood still by the ice sculpture. She looked around the room distractedly, her gaze resting for a few seconds on different people scattered around the room; Ric, standing beside Jenna, smiling and talking to a staff from Ric's department; Stefan, the mild, even-tempered brother she had grown fond of; Rosalyn, the sophisticated and extremely proper lady who treated her with genuine warmth and maternally; Caroline, nowhere to be found; all these people who had come into her life recently-she was on the verge of losing them all.

Did any of them know about Damon and Katherine? Were they in on it too? The idea that she would lose her newfound family and friends broke her heart a little bit more. For the sake of keeping up appearances, she had decided to not say anything until she had more time to process it; for all she knew, Katherine was a vindictive bitch who wanted to lash out at her for stealing Damon away from her. She thought back to the times when she had a gut feeling about Katherine and Damon's deflection when it came to talking about her. No, Katherine had to be lying, she just _had_ to.

"Elena? God, are you okay? I heard what she said to you. Please don't be mad at Damon, it was his father's fault! Damon didn't want this, I know it!" Caroline implored when she caught up to Elena.

"So it's true? What Katherine said, it was true?" Tears flowed down Elena's cheeks as she looked at her new friend with tortured eyes. "Does everyone else know about the deal he made with her?"

"No, Elena, please listen to me. You have to talk to Damon about this. He'll explain it to you, just please, hear him out before-"

"Before what, Caroline? Before I make a fool out of myself for having feelings for him and marrying him just so that he can have _my_ baby with that woman? God, I'm so stupid! I can't believe I fell for the whole 'real marriage' proposal thing! I-I have to get out of here," Elena spun around and wiped the tear marks under her eyes, looking for a way for a quick exit, hoping that she can slip past everyone unnoticed. A pair of blue eyes met hers from across the room, as Damon's eyes narrowed upon seeing her pale and panicked face. Concerned, he began to make his way slowly to her, his path filled with well-wishers from various guests who had yet to speak to him.

As Damon got nearer and nearer to her, Elena retreated into a corner, ignoring Caroline's pleas as she gathered her skirt and turned around, only to almost bump into Rosalyn and a few of her guests.

"Elena dear, are you feeling all right? You look like you've seen a ghost! I know this must all be overwhelming for you, but you and Damon can leave now if you want. It's customary for the bride and groom to leave before the guests do anyway," Rosalyn's gaze swept over her face as she reached out to pat her arm.

"Y-yes, thank you. I do feel a little queasy, it must be the pregnancy. I'll go outside for some air while I wait for Damon. Thank you, Rosalyn, for everything," Elena looked almost in tears again as she gave a half-smile and leaned in to brush her lips on her new mother-in-law's cheek. She pulled away immediately after and left through the side entrance door, relieved to get away from the crowd. She made her way to the edge of the terrace of The Lighthouse, and looked out over the water at the distant lights, feeling herself calmed down somewhat.

"Lena? Hey, I didn't really get to talk to you at all tonight. Crazy party in there, huh? Do you even know half of these people?" said a masculine voice as a tall figure stepped out of the shadows and came to stand in front of her.

"Matt! Oh, thank God! Are you leaving? Can you take me home?" she asked, relieved to see her old friend and ex-boyfriend, as she recognised him when he stepped into the light of a nearby lamp-post.

"Uh, yeah, like right now? What about your party or the groom? Aren't you supposed to leave with him?" he asked in surprise.

"Well, he umm...he has to stay on a bit longer to entertain his business associates. You know, big corporate executive and all that. And I'm feeling really tired, so his mother said I should go home and rest first. Do you mind?"

"Ah, no! Not at all. Come on, my car's that way," he pointed to the right as he guided her carefully over the timber floor decking.

* * *

><p>Damon gritted his teeth with impatience as he was forced to greet yet another guest who stopped him in his path to Elena, whom he can no longer locate. He was just about to just mow down anyone else who got in his way when Caroline appeared beside him and glared at him angrily.<p>

"Care? What's wrong? Where's Elena? I saw her with you earlier. Is she all right?" he asked her, his eyes still wandering around the room, hoping to catch another glimpse of his wife.

"No, she's _not_ all right! You, come with me!" she hissed as she pulled him along with her as she entered the ladies' room.

"Care! This is the ladies' bathroom! Why would you drag me in here? Is Elena in here? Did she get sick?" he asked worriedly as Caroline pushed all the doors of the stalls open to see if they had any company. She needed complete privacy for what she was about to say to him. Finally, satisfied that they were indeed alone, she whirled around and stalked angrily to where he was waiting for her answer.

"Damon Salvatore, what the hell have you done? Please tell me you were not planning on _actually_ going through with your father's plan to divorce Elena and steal her kid and _then_ marry that wicked bitch Katherine! _Are_ you having an affair with her? Is that why she's still living in your apartment? Damnit, Damon! How could you hurt Elena like that?" Caroline yelled at him while her hand kept punching his arm at the end of every question.

"Wha-owww! Stop that! Where did you hear that from? Of course I'm not having an affair with Kat! I would _never_ to do that to Elena," he announced, rubbing his sore arm from her punches.

"So Katherine was lying? She said that you married Elena because Giuseppe wanted an heir from you and she wasn't willing to have one, and that you'll keep the baby and marry her after you divorced in a year. She said that she was your mistress but you'll marry her eventually because your company needs her father's business. And that your whole marriage to Elena is a charade. So, was all that just bullshit?" she asked with her hands folded in front of her chest.

"Kat _told_ you all that? Why would she tell _you_?" his eyes widened in surprise.

"She didn't! I overheard her telling Elena right here in this very room earlier! Elena-she was so upset earlier. Hell, _I_ got upset just hearing Katherine being so cruel to her. Damon, you have to go fix this, now! I don't know what she's going to do. She seemed so heartbroken," Caroline choked out as her emotions got the best of her again.

"Damnit Katherine!" he swore under his breath. "Where _is_ she? Where's Elena, Caroline? I have to find her! I need to explain!" he muttered in a panic, his chest tightened at the thought of her leaving him.

"I-I don't know where she went! She just said that she had to get out. But it's okay, just tell her that Katherine was lying, everything she said was a lie. I'm sure Elena will listen to your explanation if you told her the truth, right?"

"She wasn't lying!" he exclaimed as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I mean...ohh this is so messed up! She lied about the part where she was my mistress but everything else..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Damon! Please tell me that the part of you leaving Elena to marry that skank _isn't_ true! You-get the hell out of my restroom! Can't you see we're in the middle of a private conversation here? Go pee in the men's room!" Caroline snapped at an unsuspecting female guest who had just walked into the restroom but stopped to double-check on the sign on the door when she saw Damon in there. Seeing Caroline's expression, she muttered "Sorry" and quickly reversed out of the room, leaving Caroline alone with Damon again.

"Have you been using Elena and the baby all this time to get ahead in your career? Because I swear I'm _never_ talking to you again if you intentionally hurt her like that! Damon, that girl's crazy about you! We all thought you were as crazy about her too, or I wouldn't play a part in this stupid sham of a wedding if you didn't!" she raged, her hands in fists at her side.

"No, I didn't mean to hurt her, I swear! The sham wasn't the marriage with Elena; it was the one with Katherine! I don't have time to explain it all to you, but long story short, I _never_ intended to divorce Elena, Katherine and her father just had to think that. I can't lose Elena, not now when we've finally ended up with each other. I need to find her, Care," Damon pleaded, his sincere blue eyes beseeching his childhood friend for help.

"All right, I'm only helping you because Elena's hurting, but if I find out that you've lied or hurt her again, then you'll have _me_ to answer to! She and Bonnie are my only _girl_ friends that I have right now, so I don't want you to screw this up for me. Apparently, other girls don't like me since I can be a bitch at times, but hey, _I_ am an acquired taste! If I lose my only two girl friends, I am so gonna thump you!" she threatened.

"Great, I may have just lost my wife just hours after being married to her, and yet you've managed to turn this whole thing to be about you! That's amazing, even for you. I'd love to talk about _you_ some more in this restroom, but I would much rather be looking for Elena, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going home! Can you just get Bonnie and Stefan and try to look for her elsewhere? Let me know if you find her, 'kay?" without another word, he stalked out of the room and made his excuses to his parents and then drove home, praying that he'd find Elena before he lost her for good.

* * *

><p>Despite Matt's constant worried gaze and multiple times of asking her if she was alright, Elena sat quietly beside him in his truck, lost in her own thoughts. She thanked him distractedly when he pulled up in front of her house, and she climbed down from the vehicle to enter the home she shared with Damon.<p>

Entering the foyer of the house, it no longer felt warm and cosy; it was as if she was a stranger in her own house. But of course, it wasn't _her_ house after all. It belonged to Damon, and she was just a temporary guest until her time was up. Just like her marriage. The saddest thing was that she had nowhere else to go. She didn't belong anywhere; not with her husband, and not with her own father. She was a floater, just going with the flow, no idea where she'd end up at. In a few months' time, she was going to be a mother, but even that thought failed to cheer her up, as she might very well lose her child to another family too. Damon's new family, to be exact.

With such depressing thoughts in her head, she made her way upstairs to 'her' room, at least, the room she was occupying with Damon in the week leading up to their wedding. The irony of feeling more like a wife to him in that one week before the wedding than it did on her wedding night wasn't lost on her. She entered the walk-in wardrobe and faced the full-length mirror in despair. The wedding gown she had on made a mockery of her situation, so she quickly undressed and changed into her usual pyjamas and proceeded to remove the pins and veil from her hair.

When she had wiped her face full of make-up off, she re-entered the bedroom and walked towards the bed, intending to curl up into a shell and force herself to forget the last few weeks of her life. But as she stood facing the neatly made-up bed, she lost the urge to even touch the covers as memories of the nights she spent in his arms haunted her, twisting her guts in pain. With a heavy sigh, she picked up her beloved teddy bear from the bed and walked to the balcony, sitting down on the suspended rattan swing, grateful for the fresh air and light breeze that swept over her. She rocked the swing slightly, hugging her bear to her chest, its smell of lavender and roses, reminding her of the times her mother and father were around to comfort her when she felt down or alone like she was feeling now. Perhaps the situation wouldn't have seemed so dire if her parents were still alive and helping her to cope with this situation. They've always known what to say and the right time to say it, and she appreciated how close they were as a family. So lost in her own trip down memory lane, that she did not notice Damon's car arriving outside the house.

Damon entered the quiet house silently as he listened for signs that Elena was around. Peeking into the empty kitchen and dining hall first, he made his way noiselessly upstairs and entered into their bedroom.

"Elena?" he called out softly, as he peered around the deserted room. He walked over into the wardrobe and was immediately filled with dread as he caught sight of her wedding gown left in a heap on the floor along with her veil and satin high-heeled shoes. She had come home to change, at least, and her clothes were all still hung untouched from the hanging rods. As a precaution, he surveyed the bathroom but there were no sign of her there either. Panic swelled in his chest as he started to walk out of the bedroom but suddenly, from the corner of his eyes, he saw the curtains billowing from the wind coming in from the opened glass door that led to the balcony. With the last shred of hope, he stepped out onto the balcony and sighed with relief when he saw her on the swing, with her eyes closed and a forlorn expression on her face. He sank down to his knees in front of her as he realized the amount of hurt he had unintentionally caused her, just because he was too much of a coward not being forthright with her about Katherine before this.

Still kneeling before her, he reached up and enclosed her cold hands in his, and her eyes suddenly fluttered open at the contact.

"Elena please, let me explain; it's not what you think. I'm not having an affair with Katherine. She means nothing to me at all! I could barely stand her when I was engaged to her before I met you. Granted, there are some things I never told you about my relationship with her," he paused when she winced at his mention of 'relationship' but he forged ahead when she remained silent, "but if you'll hear me out, I'll explain everything to you right now."

He waited for her to respond, but she still looked at him with a stony look on her face, and he took it to mean that she's waiting for him to carry on.

"Elena, you already know that I broke up with her the day we met; I caught her in bed with my biggest business rival, Mason Lockwood and I found out later that she'd been having an affair with him for one year already. My father's company had been losing major deals consistently for the past one year, and I've always suspected that we had a mole in our midst. Now, Nathan Pierce, Katherine's father, has been a major contributor to our business for the past few years; let's just say that if it wasn't for his influential reach in the business, Salvatore Corporation wouldn't be the corporate giant it is today. My father owes him a lot for his loyalty to our company and soon, they were talking about merging Salvatore and Pierce's empire together. It was around that time that Kat and I started dating; basically we were forced down each other's throat by our fathers who wanted us to be married so that our family names will be linked by marriage. Fast forward to a few years down the line, and out of the blue, Nathan and my father announced that we were engaged. I was just the General Manager of the company at the time, but my father promised me the Executive Director position if I agreed to marry Katherine, so I proposed to her for real."

Elena looked at him with disbelief, as if he was an alien who had just sprouted two heads as he continued his story.

"I know it may seem to you like I was a spineless man, who would do anything for career advancement, and I probably _was_, but you have to understand that this company had been my dream, my passion ever since I was a young boy when I followed my father to work one day. I just fell in love with the whole idea of the business and I had a natural knack for it too. As soon as I graduated, I joined my father in his company as a lower-ranking officer and made my way up by working hard and constantly proving to my father that I was worthy to take over the family business when he retired. Stefan was my total opposite; he had no interest in the business at all, so I thought that I had a clear path to be the Managing Director, but my father shocked everyone one day when he named another manager, Nicholas Mikaelson, as the MD instead of his own son. After a lot of successful deals that I closed for the company, I was finally promoted from a Manager to Executive Director, but I still had to report to Nik. I had to do everything in my power to make sure that the company remains under the control of a Salvatore, to keep it within the family, so I did what my father expected me to; to marry into the Pierce empire.

I've never had any trouble with being in a loveless marriage with Kat if it was for the greater good of the company, until the day I met you. I don't know what it was, but somehow you touched something in me that made me want more in a relationship. Catching Katherine cheating on me with Mason made me think that I finally had an excuse to be free of her, and when _we_ met and had the most amazing night together, I really thought that I had a chance to be happy in a relationship for once. It was more than a one night stand for me; I wanted to date you and get to know you better, but then you left without leaving me any clues as to how to find you again. You didn't even tell me your name! I waited and waited for you to reappear again that weekend, but your never did. I had just resigned myself to stop hoping to see you again when my father burst into my office one day and demanded that I get back together with Kat again, otherwise, her father would stop lending us his influence and my father would have lost the company he built up with his bare hands. This time, he promised to make me a shareholder if I agreed to forgive Kat and get back with her again," he sighed after that long speech as he looked deep into her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction to his story, but she was still expressionless.

"I really thought that I would never see you again. And my father threatened to sack me from the company if I didn't grant his wish of merging our two families together, so I agreed. I know, it was pathetic of me, but I loved my family and the business too much to let it go without a fight. I also told my father that I suspected Kat was the mole who sold us out to Mason, since she was the likeliest suspect; she had access to high-security information regarding our project bids and all that since I brought my work home a lot and the timing matched. I just didn't have proof and a motive. She was the only daughter of Nathan Pierce, and the sole heir to his empire that is worth billions, a lot of it contributed by Salvatore Corp, as a reward for being our middleman. Anyway, I agreed with my father's request partly because I wanted to investigate her further, and I needed some time to gather sufficient proof that she was in cahoots with Mason Lockwood. If I can prove it, I can put Mason behind bars and in return, gain back all my lost clients while making sure I don't lose new ones once Kat is exposed as the mole, effectively terminating my engagement to her as well. If I can regain back everything we've lost, we no longer have the need to rely on Nathan Pierce and his influence, and Salvatore Corp will be self-supporting.

That's my whole plan, basically, until you turned up on my doorstep one day, pregnant with my child. I must admit that I was so happy to see you again, that it didn't occur to me the effect it would have on my plan with Katherine. I wanted to do right by you, and at the same time, I wanted to fight for my business too. So, Mother and I, we figured out a plan to deceive my father and the Pierces so that I'd have time to investigate Kat's involvement. I couldn't rock the boat, not now when there's a solid lead in the case. I genuinely wanted to have a real relationship with you and our child, but Kat had to think that I would divorce you in a year's time so that her father wouldn't put us out of business while I investigate his daughter. I assure you, Elena, I meant what I said to you in the Proposal Pantry; I wanted it to be real between us, for our sake and the baby's sake. Marrying you was the smartest thing I've done in a long time, and today was the happiest moment of my life! It should've been the happiest day in your life too, until Kat had to come and spoil everything. Elena," he reached up to cup her cheeks in his hands, "this, _us_, everything is real. Our _marriage_ is real; the only sham is the relationship with Katherine. I'm so sorry that I couldn't tell you all this earlier, but I actually thought that you already had so much to deal with.

You've just found out that you were pregnant, and you're just a teenager! You lost your parents in an accident, the whole John thing-him kicking you out of your own house and not being able to afford school. You whole life just changed _drastically_ and I didn't want to add more drama to it if I can help it. It wasn't your problem to bear; it was mine. I thought that I was being selfless by not saying anything, but I realize now what a fool I was for thinking that. I'm really really sorry. I'll be perfectly honest with you from now on. I have nothing else to hide-I've already told you _everything_ and I just want us to be able to move past this. Can we, or have I lost you forever?" he waited with abated breath as he searched her face for signs of hope.

Elena kept quiet for the longest time, just biting her lower lip nervously as she processed everything that he told her. If she trusted him, she knew that he was telling her the truth about the extent of his relationship with his ex. But then, a chill came over her suddenly as a new thought occurred to her.

"What happens when you don't find proof of Katherine's crimes by the time limit? In one year's time, when we're supposed to be divorced according to the agreement with your father and the Pierces, what happens if you can't find anything on Mason and Katherine? Will you still need Nathan Pierce for your company then?" she asked quietly and waited patiently as he pondered over that question himself, as if that thought never struck him before.

"I-I don't know what will happen in one year. Maybe our business will pick up, or maybe something will happen to Kat and Mason that they won't work with each other again. But we'll figure it out as we go along," he promised.

"Okay, but what if it wasn't Katherine all along? What if she didn't do it? She's your only lead right now. And you're right, a lot can happen in one year. But can you honestly tell me now that your business will improve, or that you won't need Nathan Pierce, or that your father won't threaten to sack you again if you didn't divorce me and marry her then? Right now you're offering me a bunch of maybes for a future. A future that I'm not even sure if I'll still have in one year's time," she looked at him levelly as he swallowed the growing lump in his throat as he listened to her.

"Basically, you're asking me to trust you and risk falling in love with you only to lose you and the family I thought I would have for your company's survival. By your own admission, your company and your family are important to you, extremely so. If in a year's time, you had to make a decision, whether to stay with me and the baby regardless of what happens to the company or your career you've spent so many years building, or to choose _them_ over me, what would your choice be?" she laid it out clearly for him to see her point she was trying to make, and his jaw tightened when he realised what she was asking. He had a difficult choice to make right now, and it was between two very important things in his life.

"Damon, I truly understand how important the company and your career are to you, and if it was any other situation, I would gladly give you the time you need to handle it. But in _this_ situation, I have to risk giving _you_ up and watch you marry the woman I hate, and _you_ don't even like, all for what? For a company your father didn't even deem you worthy of being made a Managing Director of in favour of an outsider? It seems to me that you're giving up an awful lot for a company that may not even be yours one day," she reminded him gently.

"The way I see it, the more you give in to your father's requirements, the more power he'll have over you and he'll be asking you to jump through hoops for him or the company forever. He already knows how much you want this, Damon, and that means that he can get you to do anything he wants, even if you have to give _me_ up, no matter how much it will hurt you to do it. The sad thing is that you'll do it anyway, because you've already sacrificed so much for something that was supposed to be your birthright. Look, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but it's not right for _me_. If you can't promise me forever, then please don't expect me to give you my heart and risk another loss in my life. Not when you haven't made your choice yet," she said, suddenly feeling weary and numb with all the various emotions rushing through her.

"You're right, Elena. You're absolutely right, I _do_ have a choice to make, but how can I make it _now_? We're just at the beginning of our relationship, and though I _will_ admit that I have feelings for you, I don't _know_ if I can ever give up the family business! I-I don't think I can! Right now, my best hope is that I can get enough to nail both Kat and Mason within this timeframe, and I get to salvage both my marriage with you and my career. It's the _only_ thing I know how to do, Elena, I'll be so lost if I didn't have my job. So, please don't ask me to choose between you because I don't know how," he admitted sadly, knowing that his answer wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"You don't have to choose, Damon. I already know what your answer would be; I won't be enough for you, I will _never_ be enough. So I'm choosing _for_ you. To answer your earlier question – is yes, you _have_ lost me forever. I will keep my word and honour our original contract; we will be married for one year, maintain a strictly platonic relationship, and when we divorce, we will share a joint-custody for our child. I'm staying for the sake of our child. Rosalyn was right, I can't deny him his birthright and _that_ is the Salvatore name. It's just...easier this way, at least we don't have to deal with the whole messy affair of feelings and expectations and all that. Now, we don't owe each other anything at all, except that I would like to return this ring to you," she told him as she slipped her diamond ring off her finger and placed it in his palm, while he was at a loss for words. "I can't accept something so extravagant, when we're not...together for real."

He gaped in shock as the gravity of what she was saying hit home in his mind, and he realised that she was already pushing him away. As he looked down at the ring he bought for her and proposed to her with, he felt his chest aching as if he could physically be sick at that moment. He found himself blinking away tears that had gathered in his eyes as he thought about how close to happiness he came to today. With a firm shake of his head, he pressed the ring back into her hand.

"Keep it," he said more curtly than he intended to, but he was holding back his anguish that was threatening to engulf him as he stood up. "I bought it for you and I _gave_ it to you. Do what you want with it. Hide it, bury it, throw it away for all I care, but I _don't_ want it back," with that, he stepped away from her and hastily left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

She watched him go as she clutched the ring tightly in her palm until the edges cut into her skin. She congratulated herself for staying detached and cold throughout their conversation, even though her insides screamed at her to leap into his arms and let him convince her to be with him. Her heart broke for him when he was telling her his reasons for the entire charade with Katherine; it was clear that his own father had been taking advantage of him for his own gain. She understood that he thought he was acting heroic trying to save his business, but it seemed like there won't be any happy ending for either of them. His father was too selfish and self-involved to care about his son's happiness, similar to how John is.

Now that she had time to let the fact that her marriage was over sink in, she finally allowed the tears to come. Burying her wet face in the bear's head, she stumbled blindly over to the bed and let herself cry. Her whole body shook with violent sobs that raked through her, and she felt like her tears would never end.

Damon stood outside her bedroom, with his head resting on the door and his eyes squeezed tightly shut as he listened to her raw anguish that she finally allowed herself to release in his absence. The whole thing was a big gigantic mess, and there was nothing he could do to fix it. At least, nothing he could do _now_. He couldn't give her the commitments that she wanted now, and he couldn't even be sure if he really wanted any part of his father's legacy now. If it felt so wrong to want it, then how can it be right to fight for it? He slumped against the door as her cries went on. He just did the last thing he ever expected to do; he had hurt someone he loved. He had hurt Elena, and he would _never_ forgive himself for that.

* * *

><p><strong>And so, the angst starts in the story. What will happen as they continue to live together, trying to maintain a platonic relationship? I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a platonic marriage, unless of course, one of them is gay or needs a green card!<strong>

**Even so, expect some awkwardness for some time, until they eventually fall into a rhythm. More new characters to appear later on, free guesses as to who!**

**Like it, Love it or Hate it, just review the hell out of it!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks again and again for all your reviews, story and author alerts, even though I know I bummed some of you out, while others, like me, loved to see Damon and Elena suffer.**

**With that being said, on to the next...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: Hatred<strong>

(The next day)

"I don't think that this is a good idea, Care," Stefan voiced out as soon as he got out of his car and walked up to the group of people who huddled together as if they were discussing some kind of game plan for the afternoon they had in mind.

"Hey Stef!" Caroline beamed when she saw him beside her. "Don't be such a wimp; we're talking about the happiness of your brother and his wife here. I don't know how their conversation went last night, but I'm hoping that with us being here, they can skip past the awkwardness and just get on with their happy and blissful married lives."

"And you think that with the...," Stefan paused as he counted the people standing on his brother's front yard - himself, Caroline, Ric, Jenna, Bonnie and Jeremy, "six of us hanging out at their house, _uninvited_, on the day after their wedding is going to help with that?"

News about what went on between Katherine, Damon and Elena during the wedding reception had quickly spread within the group, thanks to the human internet, formerly known as Miss Caroline Forbes. Determined to do whatever it takes to help her friends, she called up the rest of the gang, including the newly joined Jeremy Gilbert, and planned an 'impromptu' luncheon at the newlyweds' house, cleverly disguised as the delivery service of wedding presents left at the Lighthouse the previous night.

"Yes, Mr. Worry-Wart!" Caroline exclaimed enthusiastically as she rolled her eyes at him. "Don't you remember how much fun we had the night Elena first moved into the house? We drank and we laughed and then we drank some more, and we played hide and seek that resulted in the romantic proposal in the Proposal Pantry! _We_ did that!"

"Hold on, what's the Proposal Pantry?" Jeremy asked curiously.

"It's the pantry that Damon proposed to Elena in! Keep up, Gilbert! Now remember, all of you, we're here to deliver all the wedding presents the guests gave them last night, and since it's almost lunch time, we came prepared with food for all of us since we're all staying to help to open the presents. This is my second favourite part of the wedding! It feels like Christmas all over again!" Caroline squealed with excitement.

"Are you sure they would want our help to open their presents? It seems like it's such a personal thing that the couple should do together privately," Jenna spoke up with an uncertain expression on her face.

"Nonsense! Of course they'd want our help! It took _five_ of our cars to fit all the presents in; it would take them weeks to go through all of them. So, yeah, we're helping! Everyone, put your game faces on, and let's go save a marriage! On three!" she commanded as she put her hand faced down at the centre of the huddle.

"One, two, three" everyone chorused together as they joined their hands in. "And break." The guys walked over to their cars and started piling gift-wrapped boxes on top of each other, while the girls carried the specially-catered lunch in picnic baskets and rang the door bell. A short while later, the door swung open to reveal a half-drunk unshaven Damon, still in his sweatpants and sweater, complete with tousled raven hair to finish off his 'I-had-a-bad-night-Don't-even-ask' look.

"Oh great, _more_ house-crashers. Seriously, what's the point of having your own home, when people keep showing up and refusing to leave it? I'm surprised you actually had the decency to ring the doorbell, Care! What's the matter, Ric lost his set of 'emergency-only' keys?" Damon commented sarcastically, watching helplessly as Caroline, Bonnie and Jenna walked right into the dining room to place the picnic baskets on the table.

"Wow, Damon, drunk _and_ snarky before noon. Must be one hell of a night! Where's Elena?" the blonde asked as she started emptying the baskets to reveal plates and plates of food.

"How the hell should _I_ know? Don't _you_ know? You seem to make a career out of being in everybody's business and making sure everyone else knows about it too. I assume that's why you brought the whole gang with you? To run an intervention in my relationship with Elena?" he observed accurately, but his eyes widened with surprise when his brother, Ric and Jeremy walked in with armfuls of wrapped presents which they piled around the living room.

"What do you mean Damon? We're just here to deliver all your wedding gifts from last night. We thought we'd all help to open them together and clear up the boxes and wrappers after. And by the look of things, you obviously have no lunch plans, so we came prepared. We're all starving from all the hard work of collecting and bringing all the presents for you guys. I'll just go up and get Elena so she can join us," Jenna smiled innocently as she made her way up the staircase to the master bedroom.

"I'm going to go help with the presents before the boys drown in the sea of wrapping papers," Bonnie grinned as she joined the guys outside, leaving Damon to stare suspiciously at Caroline who busied herself with laying out the food she brought on the dining table.

"Caroline Forbes, are you going to tell me what you're _really_ doing here? You don't expect me to buy that crap about delivering all the presents and helping out, are you?" Damon asked, clearly not believing her flimsy excuse.

"Well, the rest are here for the free food and presents, but I'm here because I'm worried about you two. How did it go last night?" Caroline lowered her voice as she looked at him with concern.

"We talked and it went as well as can be expected," he replied vaguely. "Everything's crystal clear now. We both know _exactly_ where we stand and what we want from each other. Everything's fine," he shrugged casually. Just then, the guys and Bonnie finished unloading their cars and carried the remaining parcels into the extremely cluttered living room with barely enough space left to walk.

"Well, that's the last of it!" Ric sighed in relief as he rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. "Next time when _I_ get married, I'm registering for cash or cheques only!"

"Oh wow, either Christmas came early or one of you is Santa Claus! What's with all these gifts?" Elena exclaimed as she walked down the staircase dressed in casual jeans and tee-shirt with Jenna right behind her.

"Hey! And how's the new Mrs. Salvatore this afternoon? You look like you had one hell of a night," Bonnie teased as she leaned in to give her best friend a hug, noticing that she had puffy eyes and dark circles under her eyes.

"I'm fine, just the morning sickness and stuff," Elena gave a half-smile meant to reassure her friend, but Bonnie saw the agony behind her dead eyes. Damon's eyes immediately snapped to her pale face in concern, wondering if it was really due to the morning sickness or from their conversation last night.

"Good afternoon, my favourite sister-in-law!" greeted a smiling Stefan, who walked over to press a brotherly kiss on her cheek as she looked slightly uncomfortable. "You should take it easy for a few days. Put your feet up and rest. Put my brother to work; ask him for a foot rub or a back massage. Now that you're married, you can start ordering him around," he chuckled as he turned to look at his brother, standing uncomfortably still just under the archway of the dining room.

Elena followed his gaze and stiffened as she met Damon's eyes for a split second before he forced himself to jerk his gaze away.

"I'm going upstairs for a quick shower and change for lunch," he mumbled to no one in particular and proceeded to walk pass Elena on the base of the staircase without looking at her. For a moment, nobody spoke as they exchanged worried glances with each other. Then, Caroline being Caroline, skipped over and threw her arm around Elena's shoulders and led her to the dining table.

"Lena, come sit down, and we'll have a nice relaxing lunch before we tackle that mountain of wedding gifts. We're going to have so much fun!" she announced with a wide grin in her typical highly enthusiastic manner of hers. Everyone else recovered and piled into the dining room, each one taking a seat around the massive table, leaving an empty seat at the head of the table directly beside Elena.

"Caroline, what are you doing? You don't have to go through all this just to make sure that I'm all right. Besides, you're being totally obvious about it," Elena muttered under her breath at the blonde seated next to her.

"I'm just worried about you, Elena, after everything that happened last night. I didn't know if Damon managed to convince you in time to give him a chance to explain. Katherine-"Caroline broke off abruptly as she realized that five pairs of ears were currently eavesdropping on their conversation and they both turned their heads in time to see them avert their eyes and started passing food around the table as the conversation turned to Jeremy.

"So, Jer, what time's your flight later? Do you need a ride to the airport?" Jenna asked as she scooped some asparagus onto her plate.

"It's at five later, and don't worry about it, Bonnie's dropping me off," Jeremy mumbled with his mouth full of fresh oysters.

"Wait, Jer, you're leaving _today_? But I've barely seen you this trip," Elena complained, sad that her little brother was going to leave her soon to return to Italy. There were so many things she wanted to talk to him about, and aside from Jenna, he was the closest family she had left. She wanted to pour her heart out to him, and let him convince her that she was doing the right thing by putting Damon at arms' length.

"I know Lena, but I have classes on Tuesday. Damon just flew me over for the weekend so that I can be here for you on your wedding day. He wanted to surprise you," the younger Gilbert gave her a wink and a cheeky grin, while she found herself feeling grateful to her new husband for being thoughtful and kind. Damn it, he was making it hard for her to ignore how he made her feel.

"Don't you worry, Elena, you still have the rest of us to keep you company when Damon's working. Now that the wedding's over, I can focus on planning SSF's upcoming fundraiser. Hey! Maybe you can help! Stef, can Elena help?" Caroline squealed as she wriggled around in her seat excitedly, smiling broadly at the younger Salvatore.

"Sure, of course! I would be glad to have an extra pair of hands, Elena," he smiled back, unable to deny Caroline anything she asked when she focused her big blue eyes on him. It made him feel all weak inside, as if he was under her spell.

"That's great, Lena, at least you have something to occupy your time with. But make sure you get plenty of rest and fluids. Don't forget that you're pregnant," advised Jenna, who was worried about her niece's current predicament with Damon. She had tried to pry about him and Katherine earlier when she went upstairs to get her, but Elena remained tight-lipped. But she could tell that there was trouble in paradise judging from the way the newlyweds refused to look at each other.

"I'm not _that_ pregnant yet. Other than the morning sickness, I feel fine, maybe just tired all the time. I can't wait for the first trimester to be over so that I can stop throwing my guts up. Blegghh," Elena made a disgusted sound as she grimaced at the thought of eating all this food spread in front of her.

"Here, have some avocado salad, it's healthy," Caroline suggested as she scooped a few spoonfuls onto Elena's plate, oblivious to her friend's hesitant look.

"Care, what the hell are you doing?" Damon's sudden appearance and loud exclaim gave everyone a fright as he reached out to remove Elena's plate. "She can't eat that, she'll spend the rest of the afternoon hugging the toilet bowl if she did! The only thing she can keep down is some pasta with lots of cheese and herbs." He swept his gaze over the tableful of food thoughtfully and spotted a plate of macaroni and cheese topped with a healthy serving of finely chopped basil. "Here, you can have this," he said as he planted the plate of pasta in front of her.

'Th-thanks," Elena said simply, surprised that he still remembered what she could eat without feeling sick. At that moment, the memory of their first official date at Tony's Italian restaurant flashed in her mind and she blushed as she recalled his reaction at watching her eat and the night that followed. She saw him stiffened next to her as he sat down in the only vacant seat left at the table, wondering if he was also thinking of that night.

Of course, he was! Damon saw her cheeks flushed in a healthy shade of pink from the corner of his eyes and correctly assumed that she was also thinking of the date. He resisted the urge to flash his smirk to let her know that he was indeed replaying the entire night in his head, but then he remembered that they didn't have that comfortable relationship they had back then. His eyes narrowed as he really took notice of the interesting variety of food on his dining table; fresh oysters, steamed asparagus with creamy sauce, chocolate cake, an avocado salad, garlic bread, roasted almond nuts, banana pudding and a comb of fresh bananas.

"What's with all these aphrodisiac food and phallic-shaped fruit? I'm most definitely _not_ impotent, if that's what you guys are driving at," he commented drily, as he sat back in his chair and regarded the gang with amusement.

"They're for Ric!" Jenna blurted out hastily. "He had too much alcohol last night and couldn't...ah...perform this morning."

"I most certainly can-" Ric replied indignantly before he caught Jenna's warning look, silently begging him not to let the cat out of the bag on their game plan. "Err...she's absolutely right. I had a teeny tiny problem earlier, hence, the uh...the aphrodisiacs. And by golly, I can feel them working already!" he announced as he shot murderous looks at his girlfriend.

"Maybe it wasn't the alcohol, Jenna," Stefan spoke up, his lips curving upwards as he teased Ric, revelling in his embarrassment. "Maybe it was the gender of the company he was with, if you know what I mean. I distinctly remember a story Damon once told me, when you were roommates in college. It was about how Ric got so wasted at a party that he passed out in bed next to my brother. Do you remember the occasion, brother?"

"Oh, vividly," Damon nodded with a huge grin, his eyes glinting with glee.

"Ooh, this sounds intriguing! Do tell, Stefan," Bonnie piped in, leaning forward in anticipation.

"I think it was after a frat party, and Ric was quite the Casanova back then. He showed up at the party with twins, and they were going at it the whole night, only coming up for air for booze and smokes. He managed to stumble his way back to the dorm room at like four in the morning, and passed out on a bed, not realizing that Damon was fast asleep on it. Cut to next morning, Damon woke up in a daze, feeling someone spooning him from behind with what he thought was a baseball bat poking against his ass. Needless to say, Damon turned to look behind him, expecting to see a girl, but no such luck! It was Ric sporting the most impressive morning wood ever in the history of mankind with a lusty smirk on his face," Stefan finished regaling his tale to the others to fits of laughter and uncontrollable giggles around the table.

Ric groaned out loud and shot an accusing glare at the man seated opposite him. "You _told_ him that? After we pinky swore that we'd take it to the grave? You gave me your word man!"

"Yeah, _never_ believe a man that says the phrase "pinky swear" when he's in bed with another man. I felt threatened by the 'weapon' that you wielded at me. And I swear I only told Stefan...and perhaps a few dozens of people from our year," Damon flashed an apologetic grin at Ric, who looked as if his face was about to explode, "What? It's not as if you'll _ever_ see them again! You haven't been to a single reunion event after graduation."

"Yes, but that's because someone wrote 'Congratulations for finally coming out of the closet, you go girl!' on my yearbook. Now, I know _why_!" Ric bit out through tensed jaw even while everyone else had tears streaming down their face from laughing so hard.

Elena, who had both hands covering her red face as her shoulders shook violently with mirth, suddenly stood up and left the table. Damon, who was chuckling loudly, instantly snapped to attention and turned his attention to her in alarm. "What's wrong? Where are you going?" he demanded, seeing tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. She shook her head wordlessly while still covering her face and continued walking towards the kitchen. Damon got up and followed her, his body tensed with concern.

"Elena, tell me. Are you hurt? Is it the baby?"

A bark of laughter escaped from between her lips as she spun around in surprise, noting his concerned expression. "It's n-nothing, Damon. I just really need to pee," she finally managed to get out, remnants of hilarity still lingered upon her face.

"Oh," he felt stupid then for over-reacting. He cursed at himself for feeling so protective of her even when she made it perfectly clear that she didn't want anything to do with him while they were still married. He made his way back to the dining room where Jenna was giving Ric the evil eye after hearing Stefan's story.

"So, twins huh? _And_ threesomes, apparently. Anything else I should know about your _sordid_ past, eh Ric?" Jenna crossed her arms in front of her as Ric leaned over to give her a quick peck on her cheek.

"Nothing, sweetie, unless you want to know about the insane crush I have on Caroline since even before I learned how to walk," Ric remarked casually, and everyone immediately reacted with choruses of "What?" as they turned to him in shock. "Oh wait, that _wasn't_ me...it was Stefan," he gave a smug look at Stefan who blushed and avoided everyone's gaze when he found himself the centre of attention this time around.

"You-you had a crush on me?" Caroline whispered in shock, for once the information rendered her speechless. Elena returned and sank back down on her chair, instantly aware of the tensed atmosphere in the room.

"Okay, whose morning wood are we talking about _now_?" she asked as her eyes shifted around the table.

"Oh, right now, we're talking about Stefan's. Ric just outed him about his _secret_ crush on Caroline," Bonnie informed her, clearly enjoying the way lunch turned out. Uncomfortable silence stretched on as nobody was willing to comment anything else.

"It-that was a long time ago, Ric. We're all best friends now, as close as siblings even," Stefan finally said, eager to break the tension.

"Yeah, yeah, we're as close as brother and sister now. He and Damon are like my brothers from another mother, you know? Okay, who's up for some presents opening? Elena, come on!" Caroline announced with mock enthusiasm, keen to change the subject. She all but pushed Elena off her chair and pulled the reluctant girl over to the living room, and passed a few wrapped boxes to her.

"There's so many of them! I can't open all of them by myself," Elena looked around her helplessly, not knowing what to make of the mountain of gifts.

"That's why we're all here, silly! Hey, if you guys are done with lunch over there, come and help us tackle this mother," Caroline instructed and soon, the eight of them were scattered around the living room, surrounded by torn and crumpled wrappers, wrinkled ribbons, empty boxes and an assortment of gifts.

"I've got another photo-frame here! That's a total of six, right Care?" Bonnie yelled over the mess.

"Yup, that's right. Uggh, who gives photo-frames as a wedding present?" Caroline remarked, making a note on her notepad. "Oh wait a minute, _that_ one cost over three hundred bucks. Huh!"

"One fancy coffee-maker machine over here!" Jeremy called out.

"Look, Elena! Bling!" Jenna gasped as she removed a gorgeous necklace from a Tiffany's box.

"Ooh, _that_ one certainly goes to the 'yes' pile," Caroline studied the shiny jewellery and passed it to Elena, who tossed it carelessly into a small box already filled with other smaller items.

"Punch bowl number three! Sorry, make that ugly-assed punch bowl number three!" Damon stated, as he studied an odd-shaped object in his right hand.

"Oh look, how cute! A set of Edward and Bella salt and pepper shakers with a Jacob cheese shaker! Awww," Ric quipped, holding up the set proudly in his hands.

"Dude, the fact that you could identify the characters by name is borderline gay," Damon commented drily, loving any opportunity to tease his best friend.

"I think it's adorable, it shows how secure he is as a man," Jenna defended, pulling Ric in for a quick kiss.

"Man, wo-man, po-tay-to, po-tah-to!" muttered Damon.

"Hey, you guys, this is from Katherine Pierce!" Bonnie suddenly yelled out, holding up an unopened box. At the mention of Damon's ex, everyone stiffened and turned their frantic gaze to Elena, who sat frozen on the sofa, the light-hearted atmosphere from a moment ago vanished completely within a split second.

"Oh, for God's sake! It's just a gift! Here, Bonnie, _I'll_ open it!" Caroline snatched the box from her and tore through the wrapping paper. She reached inside the box and to everyone's surprised, pulled out a crude black ten-inch dildo with a note attached to it. Caroline looked horrified as she read the written note and covered her mouth in disgust.

"What does the note say?" Elena asked flatly, a feeling of dread swelling in her chest, but was perversely curious to know what it said anyway.

"I-I don't want to say. It's not important, Elena. Let's just move on and throw this out," Caroline suggested, unwilling to meet her eyes.

"Caroline, what does the damn note say?" Elena repeated, certain now that it was as bad as she had expected. The blonde hesitated as she shook her head firmly, clamping her lips shut together.

"Jeez, I'll read it!" Damon snatched the attached card from the blonde's fingers and read it outloud:

* * *

><p>"<em>Dear Mrs. Salvatore, please enjoy this gift to keep you satisfied in times of loneliness. It's an exact replica of the real thing, so use it whenever you feel like having a real marriage. Xoxo, Katherine"<em>

* * *

><p>"Well, you can't deny that the bitch has a sick sense of humour, can you?" Damon chuckled, highly amused by the gall of his ex, oblivious to his friends' reactions.<p>

"Are you serious? It was a tasteless joke meant to mock our marriage and you know it! I guess it's no surprise that _you_ would find it amusing that she compounded the hurt she inflicted on me last night when she told me about your relationship with her," Elena spit out angrily, disappointed with his reaction to Katherine's jest. "What's the matter, Damon? 'Kat' got your tongue?" she challenged when she saw his mood changed from humorous to defensive within the blink of an eye.

"As a matter of fact, she _did_ have my tongue and apparently, she _still_ does, judging from our renegotiation of our deal last night," he replied with biting sarcasm, and then turned to address the others. "Since it has been a day of sharing stories, Elena and I agreed to have a platonic relationship during the course of our marriage. I'm a guy and I have needs. If my own 'wife' refuses to sleep with me, then I'll take it wherever I can get it! So yes, I find it amusing that my _girlfriend_ gave my wife a dildo!" he yelled out angrily but stood his ground when Elena shot up from the sofa and landed a tight slap across his face, his head now whipped to the side from the impact. His jaw tightened as he watched Elena let out a sob and rushed upstairs to her room.

Nobody else moved as they witnessed what just happened with evident shock on their faces. "Oh God, this is like Ross and Rachel all over again!" Caroline lamented with a groan. "Damon, what you said was so out of line that you can't even _see_ the line! The line is a dot to you! Here, take this fucking dildo and stuff it in your mouth before you say something else you'll regret forever!" She threw the offending item at him and ran up the stairs two steps at a time.

"I can't believe you did that to her! To think that I was on your side before this," Bonnie shook her head in disbelief and followed after Caroline.

"Congratulations, you may have just lost her forever. How does it feel to make your own wife hate you?" Jenna asked with tears in her eyes before she proceeded upstairs.

"Dude, I just wanna say thank you for bringing me back for my sister's wedding, but that was such a dick thing to say, especially to a pregnant woman," Jeremy said sadly, and then he too joined the ladies upstairs to comfort Elena.

The remaining two men shuffled their feet uncomfortably as they avoided Damon's gaze.

"Well, I can certainly clear a room! Whiskey, anyone?" Damon shrugged indifferently as he made his way to the liquor cabinet and poured bourbon into three glasses. Passing two to his brother and his best friend, he raised his own glass as a toast, "Here's to a marriage that was doomed right from the start," he announced as he tossed back the glass in one long gulp. "Oh come on, you two! I can practically smell the judgement coming off of you! Go on, tell me what you're dying to say. Tell me how I've royally fucked up!" he said when they still remained silent.

"I'm with the girls on this one, brother. You _have_ fucked this one up. Are you trying to sabotage your own happiness? You made a mess of things when you hid the truth about Katherine from Elena, but what you just said to Elena, that broke her heart right then. Is that what you're trying to do? To push her away?" Stefan demanded.

"Yes, okay? I meant to hurt her so that she'd hate me. After all, that's what I deserved right? I told her _everything_ last night, about Katherine and her father and how important our business is to me and my family. I told her that I had to pretend to Kat that I'd still divorce her and marry Kat so that I can get the chance to save my business. I said that I wanted to have a real family with her, and all she had to do was give me a year's time to figure out a way to get the company out of Nathan Pierce's grip and investigate Mason and Kat's involvement with the contracts we've lost. She didn't trust me enough to give me the time I needed! She thinks that she'll lose me to Katherine anyway if I can't find anything out by then. She asked me to choose between her and the baby, and the company! How could I choose one over the other? It's like Sophie's Choice!" Damon screamed out in frustration. He poured himself another drink and emptied that glass too.

"Wait, so _that's_ why she renegotiated the deal? To give up on the real marriage and just stay the length of the year together as housemates? Man, you're even more of a fool than I thought!" Ric shook his head in disappointment. "Of course, she'd push you away, Damon! You basically just told her that she and the baby are not important enough to you! What woman would want to stay married to a man who puts his own selfish needs before his own family? Think of what you asked of her; you want her to invest her feelings on you and gave her the hope of having a stable loving family to belong to, and then if your company needs you to, you'd toss her aside until you decided otherwise. Are you really as stupid as you seem right now?"

Damon frowned as Ric's words repeated in his head, and he slowly realised how the whole situation seemed to Elena last night.

"Damon, think about this for just a minute; what happens if you lost the company? You'd lose years and years of hard work, sure, but you can always start over. You can build your own business where _you_ call the shots, not Father! At the very least, you can find a job elsewhere with your vast experience. But what happens if you lost Elena? Sure, there are other women in the world, but I doubt that you'd find one who made you happier in the short time you've known her than any other women I've seen you with! If you truly love Elena, she can be your past, present and future, your whole life! It's your heart, Damon, and hers. Once you break it, there's nothing you can do to make it whole again. You can mend it, but the cracks will still be there. I don't think you can afford to lose her, not now and not in the future. And we all think that you got lucky enough that she loves you back. Well, _loved_ anyway," Stefan lectured his elder brother, his eyes sad.

Damon considered everything his brother told him and allowed himself to imagine a future without Elena and knowing that she hated him. A foreign feeling of intense pain tugged at his heart, and he almost doubled-over from the loss of not having her in his life. He imagined the same but for his company; he felt a stab of loss, but it was nowhere near the intensity he felt at the idea of losing her. The stark contrast in feelings made up his mind at last.

"You're both right. Of course! I didn't realize it then last night. I-I have to see her, to talk, to apologize. I just hope I'm not too late," he said as he looked up, towards her room from the living room.

"Go, before she _really_ wants nothing to do with you," Stefan advised, gesturing upstairs with his head. Damon nodded and raced upstairs, intending to knock on the door before he requested to have a moment of privacy with her. He paused outside the door, as he took a deep breath and braced himself to face with five angry people in the room. He heard her voice through the door as he hesitated outside her room.

"I hate him! I hate him, Jenna! I'll _never_ trust anything he says ever again. I was so stupid to think that he cared about me. I really thought that we could still work things out one day, after he's done with his charade with K-Katherine, but I was wrong! I can't love a man who intentionally hurts me like that. I just can't!" came Elena's voice, shaking from the sobs that consumed her.

"Shh, Elena. Listen to me. I know what he said was cruel, but maybe he just said them in the heat of the moment. He must be feeling hurt by the fact that you rejected him last night, thats' all, and he said something he didn't mean. He would never go back to Katherine, I _know_ him. He's just...lashing out," Caroline's voice drifted out to him through the door.

"It doesn't matter! He and Katherine deserve each other. He's worse than John, if that's even possible! At least with John, I knew that he never loved me. But Damon, I didn't know that he could be so cruel and hurtful. It's just as well that I realize this now, before he leaves me sooner or later. They all do. I never want to speak, or see him ever again. It's over now, for real," Elena cried out, as she collapsed onto Jenna's comforting arms.

Outside the door, Damon felt the heartbreak that Stefan referred to earlier. And his brother was right; there was nothing in the world that would fix it back. Not when he knew that he'd lost his one true chance of happiness and that he had single-handedly made sure that _her_ heart was broken too. Dejectedly, he turned around and walked back into his own room.

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><p><strong>Woah, one long lunch session in five thousand over words! I never meant for it to go that far! I was supposed to cover more days in this chapter, but I had too much fun writing the funny stuff that the whole thing just ran this long. <strong>

**OOPS!**

**Oh well, despair, distraught, and destroy...sums up their relationship at this point! Hope I made you laugh and then cry with me on this chapter! **

**Like it, Love it or Hate it, just review the hell out of it!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you once again to my regular reviewers. I hope the silent readers will also break their silence and let me know their opinion on the story too. **

**I forgot to include in my Author's Note in the previous chapter for references to F.R.I.E.N.D.S's Ross & Rachel and a line I used from their episode (about the line being a dot to Damon). I love F.R.I.E.N.D.S almost as much as I love TVD!**

**Some people read this story for the humour, some for the angst, some for the romance and some for the bromance. Oh and I know one or two of you who's here for the teddy bear Mr. Cuddles (you know who you are *wink*). Well, whatever reason you're reading the story for, I just want to thank you for supporting.**

**Thanks for making my number of reviews hit the 200th mark! Beers all around! Next target: 300 reviews!**

**Oh and I would like to dedicate this chapter to one of my reviewers: **_DelenaEndgame_ **(you'll know why as you read on) *wink***

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: Of Snakes and Pastas <strong>

For the next week or so, Elena and Damon hardly saw each other despite the fact that they lived in the same house. He'd sneak out early in the morning before she woke up and spent long hours at his office, immersing himself in work and having late dinners with clients, sometimes with Ric and even with his brother and mother.

He used to enjoy working at the office, especially when he was still engaged to Katherine, but these days, he found himself completely distracted and staring off into space as he thought about the teenager he left alone back home. He never expected that things would get this bad so fast in his very first marriage; he felt monumentally disappointed with himself for letting his temper get the better of him. Ric and Stefan had been absolutely right; he was utterly lost without her. He had to drag himself to work every day and forced himself to stay later than usual just so that things wouldn't be so awkward at home. He no longer felt any passion or found any satisfaction in his job anymore-something he never thought was possible.

They haven't spoken to each other at all since the day of the wedding-presents-opening, and frankly, he missed her. He told himself that he was merely concerned about her as the mother of his child, but he knew better. She had gotten under his skin and he found himself hovering outside her room late at night, listening for any sounds of her through the closed door, but she was always already asleep by the time he got home. He wondered how she spent her days at home without him, whether she had the girls with her or if she went out shopping.

What does a pregnant teenager do in her free time? Belatedly, he realized that there was nothing much she could do without any money, so he transferred some money to her bank account as her allowance and left her a note on the kitchen counter for her to use it for her personal needs. The next morning, he found another note from her with a detailed statement of account on what she spent on; weekly groceries with receipts attached, toiletries, and some books on pregnancies (also with receipts attached). To his reluctant amusement, she enclosed the unused balance in cash and coins in the envelope along with a calculation sheet:

_**USD 1,000,000.00 less USD 184.75 = USD 999,815.25**_

God, she was a stubborn woman, he thought as his shoulders shook from laughter. Well, she'd find out soon that he wasn't lacking in the stubbornness genes either; he replied her the following morning with a platinum credit card with her name on it and a set of instructions on what to spend on:

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><p><em>Dear Ms. Gilbert  Mrs. Salvatore (please cross out whichever is not applicable),_

_Here's a credit card with a credit limit of USD 50,000.00 for your future usage on groceries, books, toiletries, maternity clothes, etc. You may also use it to shop for whatever baby items needed to furnish the empty nursery pending his/her arrival. As the father of the baby, I hereby grant you full creative license to design the nursery however you deem fit. However, I do have one request pertaining to the colour theme: NO PINK._

_Thank you._

_Sincerely,_

_Your housemate / husband (again, please cross out whichever not applicable)._

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><p>Elena smiled hesitantly when she found his reply to her during breakfast and read his formal note to her with the credit card attached. She could almost see his trademark smirk as he was writing it, obviously his good humour had returned judging from his playful tone in which he wrote it. If she was being honest to herself, she missed his company, and the house seemed even bigger, emptier and less homey without his charismatic presence. She hasn't seen him for a week, and that was a long time compared to how close they were before the wedding.<p>

She didn't know for sure if he was deliberately avoiding her by working late every night, or if he was spending time with his _girlfriend_ at his other apartment. Well, whatever the reason for why he wasn't around, she had no right to question him since it was _her_ decision that they maintained a platonic relationship. She didn't even have the right to feel jealous if he was indeed canoodling with the rich bitch heiress.

She sighed heavily. Failed marriage aside, she wished that their fight over rich bitch's wedding gift and note didn't happen the way it did; with her slapping Damon's face in front of their friends. Perhaps she had overreacted to the prank, knowing full well that his ex intended to get her riled up and sabotage her relationship with Damon. Perhaps Damon's reaction had been a more appropriate one all along, to view the whole thing as a joke played by an insecure manipulative child. Well, it was too late now! The fight _did_ happen and she _did_ slap him, but how long was she going to let this mutual silent treatment go on? For the whole duration of being married to him? They had to face each other somehow, even if she had to apologise for her reaction just to get them to at least be on talking terms. She was living with him, for Christ's sake - they had to at least be able to tolerate each other enough to be in the same room without it being awkward and stuff.

Maybe they can start off by having dinner at home. She can offer to cook a simple meal, like buttered toast and eggs...with Chinese take-out or...oh! She could order a take-out from Tony's restaurant and have a friendly dinner at home! Brilliant! She grabbed her phone and decided to send him a text message instead of leaving notes to him every morning. She quickly typed her message and pressed send before she chickened out.

_**Need to talk. Free for dinner at home tonight?**_

She waited nervously as she stared at the phone, willing it to vibrate with a text reply.

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><p>On the other side of town, Damon sat in his office and stared at his phone in disbelief as he read and reread the message from Elena. Did she just text him on her own free will? What did she mean by talk? Was she leaving him? Was she going to sit him down and tell him that she'd had enough of him? Was she angry that he left her alone for too long? Urghh, there were so many ways to interpret her simple words, and most of them did not bode well for him. He needed help. He needed...Ric! He reached for his office phone and told his secretary to page for Ric and that it was urgent. By the time Ric showed up at his office, Damon was pacing nervously around his office, his appearance dishevelled as if he hadn't slept for days.<p>

"Hey! What's the emergency?" Ric asked as he walked in.

"Oh good, thank God you're here! Elena wants to talk! What do I do?" Damon showed her text message to Ric, who read it and then looked at Damon in puzzlement.

"Err, I guess you could, I don't know, _talk_ to her? You know, the thing people do when words come out of their mouths, preferably _after_ they processed it through their brain first. Why are you so nervous? Isn't it great that she's talking to you again?" Ric sighed as he sat down in front of Damon's desk.

"I suppose, if what she had to say was good. What if it's not good? What if she wants to go through with the divorce now? Today? What if she decided to get an abortion? What if-" Damon rambled on in a panic.

"We can play 'What ifs' the whole freaking day and you still won't know for sure what she wanted to talk to you about. What don't you reply her message before she thinks that you're ignoring her? Then, you'll find out tonight for sure," Ric suggested, speaking slowly as if he was talking to a tempestuous child.

"Yeah, yeah you're right. I should reply her. But what do I say?"

"Oh jeez, now you need a third party to speak to your wife? Go on, give me the damn phone!" Ric rolled his eyes as he took Damon's phone and typed a reply on his behalf.

_**Dinner sounds great. Be home by 7.**_

"There! All done. Now you have a date with your wife. Can I go back to work now?" Ric got up and passed the phone back to him.

"Wait! Should I get her some flowers? I mean this is the first time we'll be speaking to each other since last Sunday. I think this qualifies as a special occasion, don't you?" Damon said thoughtfully, wondering why he felt as nervous as a school boy over a simple dinner at home with his young bride.

"Yes, Damon. Get her flowers! Get her some chocolates! Get her a one-week anniversary present! If you're over your teenage dating crisis, can I get back to my own office now? _Some_ of us have actual work to do you know? Just promise me that you won't screw it up _this_ time," Ric warned before he slapped Damon on the back and left his office.

"Don't screw it up, don't screw it up. Yeah, like _that's_ gonna happen," Damon muttered to himself and he spent the rest of the day worrying about his first post-wedding 'date' and driving his staff insane with indecisions.

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><p>Elena smiled with relief as she read his late reply. He sounded...pleasant, enthusiastic even! She promised herself that she would be cordial no matter what he said or did. She at least owed him that since he provided a roof over her head, and let her have the master bedroom with the awesome walk-in wardrobe and even gave her the credit card. Yes, she would make sure that they would be on speaking terms by the end of the night.<p>

A short while later, a car honked outside; it was Bonnie. Elena had asked her to accompany her to her first prenatal visit with the new OB/GYN doctor recommended by Dr. Ferguson, the doctor who first confirmed that she was pregnant. She didn't know what to expect for the visit, so she decided that she didn't want to be alone to meet the doctor. Elena hurried outside to Bonnie's car and then they were on the way to town.

Thirty minutes later, they walked into a bright lobby and were greeted by a friendly receptionist who asked Elena to fill in her particulars on a patient card. She had to remind herself to tick the box that said 'Married' instead of 'Single' and wrote her name as Elena Salvatore.

"Are you nervous?" Bonnie asked from right beside her.

"Yeah, I kinda am. I just don't know what to expect and I don't even know the doctor. What if he's a mean doctor, or an old pervert? I mean, he's gonna be touching my lady parts and all that, isn't he?" Elena said with a disgusted look on her face.

"But what if he's hot? Like _really_ hot? I think you'd prefer an old pervert than a hot stranger looking at your assets, if you know what I mean," Bonnie grinned, intending to put Elena at ease with her teasing. It worked.

"Yeah, with _my_ luck, I'm gonna get a gorgeous OB/GYN to probe around my insides," Elena rolled her eyes but smiled despite being worried.

"Mrs. Salvatore? Dr. Michaels is ready for you now," the receptionist spoke up then, gesturing towards a room at the end of the hall.

"Thanks," Elena replied as she gathered her purse and jacket before she headed towards the room with Bonnie. "I'll have to get used to people referring to me by that name soon enough," she added as she knocked on the room door and then entered.

The girls were greeted by a young handsome doctor with a charming smile and dark hair and eyes. He came forward with his hand outstretched as he stood before Elena and introduced himself. "Mrs. Salvatore? It's nice to meet you. I'm Dr. Kol Michaels."

"H-hello, Dr. Michaels. Please, call me Elena. Mrs. Salvatore is the name of my mother-in-law. This is my best friend, Bonnie," Elena shook his hand and turned to her friend who was staring at her doctor with her jaw opened.

"Hello, best friend Bonnie," the charming man smiled lazily as he reached out to shake Bonnie's hand.

"You-you're definitely hot," Bonnie muttered, apparently still not recovered from seeing his boyish good looks.

"Your best friend is very kind," he chuckled, addressing Elena since Bonnie didn't seem to be able to react other than to stare unblinkingly at him. "Congratulations on getting married, Elena. I heard that it was a big and successful event. May I just say that you look even more gorgeous in person," he complimented and indicated to two chairs in front of his desk. "Please have a seat."

"Thanks. You heard about the wedding? Do you know the Salvatores?" she asked.

"Not personally, but everyone in New York knows the Salvatores. You married into quite a prominent family. They're almost like celebrities here to us mere mortals, but enough about that. Let's focus on you, how's impending motherhood treating you?" Kol quickly put on his professional doctor face and prepared his usual pregnancy questionnaire.

"I guess it's alright, except for the constant morning sickness and tiredness. I haven't been eating that well, too," she admitted, sharing a look with Bonnie.

"That's perfectly normal. The morning sickness will pass as soon as you enter the second trimester; at least that's normally the case. However, there _are_ some cases where it will continue throughout the pregnancy, but that hardly ever happens. Now, seeing as this is your first visit, I'll need to go through this pregnancy questionnaire with you to try to get some medical history and some background information on your lifestyle. Is your husband here as well? I'll need his input to some of his family's medical history."

"Err...no, he's at the office. Can I get the information from him later? We can do my part now, and fill in his input on another visit?" Elena asked hopefully since she really didn't want to call him now to come to the clinic before they've had 'the talk'.

"Yes sure, it's no problem. This visit is more about gathering information and doing some basic physical exam anyway. So, let's just start getting this questionnaire answered as much as possible, and then we'll move on to the check-up, okay?" he smiled reassuringly as she nodded in relief. It doesn't sound so bad after all.

For the next fifteen minutes, she tried to answer his questions as best as she could to her knowledge while he made notes and inserted ticks or crosses on relevant boxes on the list. Talking openly to a handsome stranger about her menstrual cycles, use of contraceptives, past pregnancies or abortions, drug use, allergies, family history and other medical conditions was quite unnerving for her, so she felt very much relieved when it was done.

Then, he set aside the list and proceeded to check her weight, height, heart rate and blood pressure before taking four vials of blood to test for Hepatitis B, Toxoplasmosis immunity, anaemia, and sexually transmitted diseases. She was also required to submit her urine sample to test for protein, urinary tract infection and sugar levels since some people develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy.

"Okay, Elena, here comes the more uncomfortable part of this visit; we're gonna do a pelvic exam, a pap smear, a breast exam and a uterus exam to check for any infections or abnormalities. Don't worry, there'll be a nurse present at all times throughout these exams, so I need you to be relaxed when we do this. Do you trust me?" Kol asked as he levelled his gaze on his young patient who was blushing furiously at the thought that this young hot doctor was going to be seeing and touching her intimately when the only other person who've seen her naked was Damon. But she had to remind herself that he was a professional and it was just a routine for him. Still, she couldn't help blushing.

"Yes, I trust you, Dr. Michaels."

"Great, but Bonnie? Can you just step outside for just a moment? I'll get the receptionist to call you back in as soon as we're done," Kol said kindly to Bonnie, who flushed when he spoke directly to her, but she nodded and gave a comforting pat on Elena's arm before exiting the room.

"Elena, I'll need you to change into this hospital gown behind the curtain over there, and lie down on the bed when you're ready. I'll go get the nurse in and then we'll begin. It's nothing to worry about, every pregnant women need to go through this, and I have done this thousands of times before. Just try to relax, okay?" She nodded obediently and gave a tentative smile before she practically dove behind the curtain to get changed. Kol shook his head in amusement, surprised that the wife of the dashing Damon Salvatore would be so shy and easily embarrassed. She was definitely different than the forward, bold and flirtatious ex of his, Katherine Pierce whom he had the misfortune to meet once before. He thoughtfully gave Elena a few more minutes to calm down and get comfortable before he re-entered his office with his nurse in tow.

"Elena? Are you ready?" he called out, standing just beyond the closed curtain. He heard a sharp intake of breath and then a muffled "Ready". Elena closed her eyes and tried to remain still and detached as she felt Dr. Michaels start his examinations, keeping her mind occupied with thoughts about how her discussion with Damon would go later. She was running a few different scenarios in her head and soon, she had almost forgotten about how uncomfortable it was for her to be so exposed to a stranger and before she knew it, he was replacing her gown back over her thighs and helping her up from the bed.

"You were such a good patient, Elena! The whole process went a whole lot smoother than I expected because you were so relaxed the whole time. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you fell asleep!" Kol chuckled as he removed his gloves and threw them into the bin beside the bed.

"Oh, I was just thinking about...my husband," she admitted after a pause.

"It's nice to see a young couple so in love," he sighed. "Now, you can change back to your clothes again, and I'll get Bonnie back in and we can go through any questions you might have and some other things I wanted to discuss."

A few minutes later, Elena and Bonnie were in the same position as they were before, and Kol was briefing them about the importance of prenatal vitamins, nutrition, exercise and other issues.

"Now, according to my calculations from your last menstrual cycle, you're actually ten weeks into your pregnancy. Now, usually I only schedule for an ultrasound from the twelfth week onwards because that will be the time that the baby's genitalia will be formed and we can see the image much clearer. So, I'd like to have you back here in another two weeks, and you can fill me in on our husband's side of family history then. So far, everything looks great, but I'll have the detailed results of the tests by the time I see you next. Just remember to get plenty of rest and don't worry about anything. I'll see you soon, okay?" Kol stood up and shook both their hands while Elena thanked him and pulled a reluctant Bonnie out of the room.

"Oh God, Elena! If I weren't so deathly afraid of relationships, I would totally tap that! I really don't know how you were able to stay so cool and collected in one piece when he put his hands on you, but if I were examined by that man, I would literally melt into a puddle. I kinda wished that Damon were here so that he'd feel threatened by that gorgeous hunk of a man. I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't want his young beautiful wife to be touched intimately by him. Hey, maybe you should bring Damon along for the next appointment; give him something to worry about for treating you like crap the other day," Bonnie said as soon as they were out to the lobby, waiting to make payment at the counter.

"Bonnie, I doubt that Damon would care about prenatal check-ups and how hot the doctor is. I told you; we're just 'housemates'. We made it pretty clear last week. But I kinda hate not talking to him, you know? I haven't seen him much this week, and when we do kind of bump into each other in the house, we just avoided each other's gaze and kept walking without a word. Personally, I don't think that's healthy at all, especially when we're both living together and having a baby. So, I thought that we'd have dinner together tonight, and attempt to move past this awkward phase and at least be on talking terms again. I don't want to keep avoiding him for a year!" Elena explained, hoping that her best friend would support her decision.

"I think that's great, Elena. It certainly beats tip-toeing around each other all the time. Besides, you're gonna have to talk to him if you want to find out about his family's medical background. To show some support, I'm not even gonna invite myself to dinner with you guys. Are you cooking? Because I'd advised you not to, unless you plan to kill him and make yourself a widow with access to his money," Bonnie teased, knowing full well what a terrible cook her friend is.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence! But you're right, of course. I'm not cooking; I thought I'd get some take-outs from this awesome Italian restaurant Damon once took me to. Can we drop by there before we go home?" Elena asked as they got in Bonnie's car.

"Sure, but only if we invite Caroline over for a little gossip session at your house before Damon gets home."

"Deal," Elena agreed with a grin.

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><p>At exactly 5.30 p.m. that evening, Damon walked into his home not knowing what to expect. That was due to two reasons; one being that this was the first time since he got married that he'd got home before the sky got dark outside, and two, he knew that Caroline and Bonnie were here from seeing their cars parked right outside the house.<p>

He thought that he was having dinner with Elena alone, but apparently, he was wrong. Obviously, she still didn't feel comfortable enough to face him alone and she felt the need to have her backup 'wingmen' around her when she 'talked' to him. That meant that whatever she intended to say to him must be bad. Oh boy.

He left his briefcase beside the door at the entrance and went in search of the girls, which wasn't very hard to do when all he had to do was to follow the high-pitched voice of his childhood friend or god-sister Caroline Forbes. He approached the kitchen door cautiously, hoping to eavesdrop on them for a clue as to what was going down tonight at dinner. However, the information he obtained from eavesdropping wasn't at all what he had expected nor wanted to hear.

"It's getting more and more uncomfortable!" Elena whined, while Damon assumed that she was talking about the lengthy silence between them. "I swear my breasts have grown a full cup size since I became pregnant, and now, they just feel really heavy and full! Sometimes, I just don't even feel like wearing a bra since the material rubs against the skin, making the nipples really tingly and sore."

"Yeah, I read about that in a magazine. Sometimes, it might even be itchy and turn a darker shade of colour. As for the tenderness, I think wearing a sports bra might help," the annoying voice of the blonde said.

"My cousin Lucy told me once that as your pregnancy progresses, the nipples will get bigger and so will the areolas. Eventually, the nipples will become extended and erect, as if they were exposed to cold temperature, so you might want to buy a good support bra, otherwise you'd have two pointed peaks showing through your shirt the whole time," Bonnie said while giggling.

"Oh great, more fun to look forward to. Extended nipples, and enlarged areolas," Elena commented sarcastically. "Come on, don't you have any good news for me? Like how to ease the soreness?"

"Well, if you were on talking terms to Damon again, you can ask him to massage your breasts and suck on your nipples gently. I heard that it helps and improve your sex life," Caroline giggled playfully, while Damon found his pants getting uncomfortably tight, especially in the crotch area as kinky images ran through his head.

"Care! That's so inappropriate. Not to mention a bit crude! Besides, Damon and I will not be doing anything of the sort anymore. We're just...friends now, if that," Elena protested.

"If not Damon, then hunky Dr. Hotness then?" Bonnie beamed and blushed prettily. "Care, you have _got_ to see this man for yourself! Someone that hot should not be allowed to be a doctor; he could single-handedly cause multiple divorces among his patients and that was even _before_ he laid his hands on them, presumably to give women a breast and uterus examination, but I have a theory that it was just a license to legally feel a woman up. God, just thinking about him makes me wanna get a pap smear just so that I could feel his fingers on me," she sighed.

"Really Elena?" Caroline shrieked excitedly, positively panting from Bonnie's depiction. "He is _that_ hot? Hotter than even Damon and Stefan? Because your gynaecologist better be _scorching_ to get Bonnie so worked up over a guy she just met today. Look at that flush! Careful Bon, you might just spontaneously combust if you think about him too much," she teased.

"Oh, I'll be thinking of him; tonight in bed, moaning loudly," Bonnie giggled loudly.

"Bon! Will you behave? Yeah he's good-looking but so is Stefan. Stefan's a more old-fashioned broody kind, whereas Dr. Michaels is more...more...boyish, I guess. Charming. Damon's...different. His features are more pronounced, almost model-like. But he has some aristocracy look about him too. They're all different," Elena describes hesitantly, unwilling to admit to her friends that she found Damon's appearance to be totally mesmerizing, especially his hypnotic blue eyes.

Damon frowned as he listened to the girls fawning over this mystery Dr. Hotness, who apparently is Elena's gynaecologist. He didn't feel comfortable to know that she found another guy to be good-looking and especially not one who has access to her private areas that only _he_ was allowed to see and touch. But then again, his access _had_ been denied.

"So, are we going to go shopping soon? You've got that flashy credit card now and you'll need new clothes and bras very soon," Bonnie spoke.

"I told you, Bon, that credit card is not meant for splurging! I'm to use it for furnishing the nursery and groceries and such only. That card came with a specific set of instructions, you know?"

"Oh come on, you know Damon would want you to wear comfortable clothes as your pregnancy advances. Shopping for maternity clothes is a need, not a want! So, you'll be completely justified if you wanted to buy some dresses, some new pants and undergarments that will actually fit your growing body. Besides, he's not that calculative. He won't care if you spent some of his money on yourself once in a while. And when I say once in a while, I really meant every week!" Caroline smiled at her own wit.

"Well, I care! He worked hard for his money, and I'm not going to just spend unnecessarily just because my body needs it. Besides, I can still fit into most of my clothes, so I don't have to worry about that yet. Hey, you guys better go before he comes home for dinner. I still have to heat the food up and set the table," Elena told them anxiously when she saw the time and was half eager and half reluctant to chase her friends' comforting presence off.

"Okay, we take a hint. We're not wanted here. I feel so used. After driving you to Dr. Hotness's clinic, and back, you still don't offer me dinner!" Bonnie said with mock anger. "I'm kidding, Elena! Okay, okay we're outta here!"

Damon realised too late that they were on their way out of the kitchen and he would most likely be discovered to be hidden behind the door shamelessly eavesdropping on everything they said so far. He watched in horror as the door to the kitchen swung open and hit him on the head which caused him to yell out in pain, scaring the three girls who were walking towards the main door.

"Damon! What are you doing back so early? And why were you standing behind the door? Were you listening to us?" Caroline's accused as her eyes narrowed suspiciously at him while Elena just stood back in surprise.

"I just got home and was on the way to the kitchen when you violently assaulted me with the door," he lied smoothly, hoping that they believed him, which they did, those naive little suckers!

"Oh, well, sorry! Bye Elena, I'll see you tomorrow for the SSF event discussion. Bye!" Caroline exclaimed and pulled Bonnie along with her out the main door, leaving Elena and Damon alone in the foyer, not knowing what to say to each other. After a long pause, Elena cleared her throat.

"Umm...you're home early. Are you hungry? I can heat up dinner for you," she offered, making the first move at being friendly.

Oh, he was already heated up, just not for food. "I was curious about what you wanted to talk about, and I couldn't concentrate at work so I came home earlier. Shall I help you with dinner?" he offered politely, feeling incredibly tensed from their reserved conversation, as if they were both afraid to say the wrong thing for fear of spoiling this temporary truce between them.

"No, I can handle it. It's just heating up food; I'm sure even_ I_ couldn't mess that up," she gave a tentative grin and the sight of it made Damon feel more at ease, since she was obviously not gearing up to a big emotional break-up with him tonight. "I'll just be a few minutes."

"Okay, I'll go upstairs and get changed," he told her, and then sped upstairs into the privacy of his own room, glad for a moment of reprieve so that he can calm himself down and think about other things beside his arousal in his pants that resulted from overhearing the girls' conversation about Elena's breasts. He contemplated taking a shower, a cold one, but then decided that he wanted to get 'the talk' over with to have some peace of mind. All this wondering had screwed with his brain the whole day so he was anxious to get it out of the way. He changed into casual black jeans and his John Varvatos buttoned shirt and then made his way back downstairs to smell the aroma of Italian herbs coming from the dining room.

"You cooked this? It smells delicious!" he looked impressed as he saw the pasta and salad on the table.

"Are you nuts? Of course I didn't cook this, Tony did. You don't want your house to burn down, do you?" she asked incredulously, as if he was insane to suggest that she could actually cook.

"Oh, I thought-never mind. Take-out from Tony's, huh? That's just great! As if I didn't have enough problems!" he rolled his eyes and groaned as he willed himself to stay calm, but failed anyway at the memory of the sounds she made when she first tried Tony's cooking.

"What's wrong? I thought you loved Tony's food?" she was staring him in confusion, wondering how the hell she could screw up the dinner merely by getting take-out from what she thought was his favorite restaurant.

"Yeah, I loved Tony's cooking, but that was _before_ you spoiled it for me by making all the...sex noises when I brought you there the last time. Now, I can never think of cheesy pasta or Tony's restaurant the same way again without getting aroused at the thought of you eating and the passionate night that followed! And this is right after I overheard you talking about your breasts; how they got bigger and tingly and then Caroline had to go and suggest that I gave you a massage and sucking on your tender nipples, and well, the mental image is too much!" he shook his head violently as if to clear his head.

"You heard us talking? But when Caroline asked, you said - you told her-" she stammered in confusion, her head still reeling in shock as he practically admitted not a moment ago that he was sexually frustrated.

"I lied! I don't owe _them_ any explanations, but you...I said I wouldn't lie to you again so yes, I got home and heard your voices in the kitchen so I listened for any clues as to why you wanted to have a talk tonight. But then you girls just started talking about breasts and nipples and Dr. Hotness, that I couldn't stop listening! By the way, I can't believe that you went for a check-up without me. I'm the father - shouldn't you involve me in anything that involves our baby?" his face was stretched tightly from the tension in his body as he confronted her about the doctor's appointment.

"I-I didn't think you'd be interested. Honestly. We-we weren't talking, and you've never given any indication that you'd want to be involved in that aspect of the pregnancy, so I went with Bonnie. In fact, that was one of the things I wanted to speak to you about tonight since Dr. Michaels advised me to bring you along for the next check-up since he wanted to ask you about your family's medical history as background information for the baby. The girls were just playing around when they spoke about him earlier," she felt her face reddened as she thought about how she described about how differently hot the three men were.

"Oh, so Dr. 'Hotness' has a name. I don't want you to see him anymore, Elena. I'm not comfortable about having a good-looking man poking around my wife's vagina, so go find another doctor," he instructed arrogantly, feeling sick at the thought of this mystery man's hands and fingers all over Elena's body.

"What? Do you even realize what you're saying? You want me to find another doctor just because of the way he _looks_? We had a nurse the whole time he was examining me and he was a total professional throughout the whole thing. I'm not changing doctors just because you feel insecure and jealous over absolutely nothing!" she argued back, her stubborn streak making an appearance. "And FYI, it's not my fault if you get sexually frustrated every time you see pasta! And I didn't force you to listen to us girls talking amongst ourselves - without knowing that we had a creepy stalker listening right outside the door, I might add – about how my body is changing. The fact is that I'm pregnant, and I don't know anyone else who might have been through this, so I would like to be able to discuss this openly with my girl friends! Maybe you should learn to control your emotions rather than blaming me for arranging a nice dinner with you!"

"Yes, I _am_ sexually frustrated! In fact, I'm goddamn horny all the time now. But I suppose that's due to the fact that I haven't been having _sex_ for over a week now, since my wife decided that she would rather sleep alone than with a man who craves for her touch so much that I'd rather spend all day at the office rather than come home and see you and know that I can never have you again," his tone softened towards the end as he finally admitted out loud what he had been struggling with the whole week.

"Wait, so you _haven't_ been having sex? You weren't with Katherine?" she whispered.

"Of course not! Whatever that happens between us, I'm still a married man! I wouldn't cheat on you and frankly I feel insulted that you'd even _think_ that I would. Besides, Ric thinks that she has an acidic cooter and no man in their right mind would go near her if they didn't want their manhood to melt off," he smiled a little at the end as he recalled his conversation with Ric at the bar the day he met Elena.

Seeing his smile and knowing that he wasn't with Katherine this week made Elena's heart filled with joy, and suddenly she didn't feel like fighting with him anymore.

"I'm sorry," she said softly as he looked up at her in surprise. "I shouldn't have hit you that day."

"Why not? _I_ would hit me. I was being a dick to you; you didn't deserve what I said to you. I didn't mean to give you the impression that I was still having a relationship with her. You have to believe me when I said that she and I are over, completely. I don't feel anything towards her except for hatred, annoyance, disgust and a little fear; kinda like if you saw a huge snake in the garden eating your favourite pet," he shrugged.

"You paint quite a picture! But I meant what I said, I'm sorry. I may have over-reacted to that stupid prank she pulled. I must admit that the thought of her unleashes the ugliest part of me that makes me wanna...wanna...wanna...gouge her pesky eyes out and feed it to that snake!" she looked adorably furious enough to actually pull it off. "Anyway, this was what I wanted to talk to you about. I really hated not talking to you this week. And if we're gonna live together for a whole year, the least that we could do is to try to be friends, even if we're attracted to each other and drive each other crazy."

"You're attracted to me?" he wondered, with his eyes wide from the sudden revelation.

"Who said that? I didn't say that," she hastily replied, mentally kicking herself for blurting that out.

"Yeah, you did. You _just_ said it!" he insisted.

"You must have heard wrongly. I said we drove each other crazy. So what do you say? Friends? Or at least, civil housemates? Ones that see each other a few times a week, share a meal together, maybe even watch TV together in the evenings?" she offered hopefully.

"Okay, I'll make an effort to be home earlier. Hell, I'll even tolerate watching sappy romance movies or cartoons or whatever it is you kids watch these days. But can you also compromise by having a meal once a week with my family? My mother misses you, and I didn't tell her about our...err...arrangements. I didn't want her to worry."

"When you say family, do you mean the WHOLE family, or just Stefan and your mother? Because I can probably do the latter but not the former, unless I have your permission to eat some pickles and barf all over your father," she threatened with a wry smile.

"No barfing on family members, not even my father who is _not_, by the way, included in the family meal. And how come you don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?" he eyed her as if there was something seriously wrong with her.

"Let's just say that pickles to me are like...Katherine to you," she explained, getting her point across eloquently.

"Oh ewww, then no pickles for you then," he chuckled as she returned with her own grin, both happily satisfied with their mutual declaration of peace for the moment.

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><p><strong>Finally, these two managed to find a common ground to hopefully co-exist peacefully for the moment. I think it was a pretty healthy fight; the stuff they brought out of each other finally cleared the air. <strong>

**So, Kol made an appearance. May not be how you expected, but for some of you, you should be happy he's in the story at all! I didn't plan on writing him in, so it was as unexpected to me too. **

**I hope that this less antsy chapter can make more of you comment, not just the regular reviewers (whom I love sooooo much!) but I'm hoping that those who read the story would come out and press the little button below this Author's Note and type a few sentences. Come on, you know you want to...NO? Well, too freaking bad! Do it anyway, because I said so! Too harsh? Didn't mean it! Okay, maybe I did, just a little! Besides if you don't review, then I'll make Damon die in the next chapter! *sinister laugh***

**Okay, maybe he won't die, because then the story is over, but I might make his manhood melt by sticking it in Katherine's acidic cooter... don't say I didn't warn ya! **

**So again, please R E V I E W. Thank you very much! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Well, what do ya know? Threats work! Especially when it comes to Damon's manhood! It didn't work very well...but it did work somewhat! Saw some new names on reviews, so thanks for that! 32 reviews for Chapter 12 is my highest record yet, making my total reviews to be 259. I'm aiming for 300 at this time, so keep 'em coming!**

**I don't know about you guys, but I like a slow-burning story; it helps me to identify with the characters that way. Also, I'm playing around with the plot of the story, so if it takes a while to get to what you want to see between Delena, then just know that it's coming. I just think that Damon should be forced to wait a while before he gets what he wants... I'm evil like that!**

**Guest appearance from a familiar character in this chapter (I know some of you are waiting for this person to show up!).**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: Fundraiser <strong>

It was a Sunday, a couple of days since Damon and Elena had 'the talk'. Things were obviously a lot less tense now that they were no longer deliberately avoiding each other again, and so the strictly platonic couple found themselves in their own living room, seated on the sofa directly opposite Stefan and Caroline. They were now surrounded with files, folders, notepads, whiteboards, and other odds and ends items that may be required to organize a fundraiser as opposed to mountains of wedding gifts that cluttered the same living room just one week ago.

"I don't understand how_ I_ got roped into helping with the organizing of your project, Stefan. I mean I'm aware of how naive little Elena got tricked into agreeing to help, but I didn't recall anyone ever asking _me_ for my permission to use my living room as command central," Damon complained, his arms crossed defensively across his chest and glared at his brother.

"Don't be such a cry-baby, Damon. Besides, Elena _volunteered_ to help and we thought that we'd bring over the command central to her rather than have her in the mansion's study room where she could run into Father, and you wouldn't want Elena to be stressed out, would you?" Stefan smirked, knowing that his brother would give in for Elena's comfort.

"Fine! You can have the house, the living room, anything your little heart desires, but that _still_ doesn't explain what the hell I'm doing here on a Sunday afternoon when I have a million other things I'd rather be doing," Damon grumbled.

"Like what?" Elena asked, genuinely curious to know how Damon spends his off days.

"Well, like catching up on my Glee episodes, or watch reruns of Whose Line is it Anyway, or read a book! Just as long as I don't have to organize a stupid fundraiser on my weekend off," he replied, much to the amusement of the other three people around him.

"Hmm, I wouldn't go around telling people about your hobbies if I were you, because they make you sound like a nerdy loser! For the sake of your manhood, I'd stick to the fundraiser. Besides, you'd be helping Elena; lighten some of her workload since you know, she's pregnant with _your_ child and should probably not overwork herself to exhaustion," Caroline reminded with a sly grin.

Elena held back an urge to chuckle when Damon muttered under his breath, "Stupid weak guilty conscience." Then he sighed and gave in. "Whatever! But this is the last time you guys are allowed to pull the 'pregnant' card again for the rest of the month," he warned.

"Agreed," Stefan said as he hid a smile. Then he launched into lecture mode as he explained about what he and Caroline had done already, and listed out some of the things that were still pending. After about three hours of brainstorming and disagreements between the brothers, a reluctant Damon was charged with finding the entertainment for the night and gathering donors, whereas Elena was in-charge of publicity and press releases.

"Hey, you know what? You should also get an online auction going for all the wedding presents that we got but don't know what to do with. Wonder how much you'd get for the stupid unused Damon-dildo," Elena scoffed, happy to be rid of the item that was collecting dust in the store room along with the rest of the wedding presents.

"Hey! Oh, you meant the huge black thing that vibrates. Sorry, thought you meant me! Ah, so you _haven't_ been playing with it yet. I'll admit I was curious about where the thing went after last Sunday," Damon smirked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Eww, God no! Besides, I have Mr. Cuddles to keep me company at night. I don't need any other 'toy', especially not one from...well, she-who-must-not-be-named," Elena whispered dramatically, as if the very mention of Damon's ex was taboo.

"Who, Lord Voldemort? Oh, you meant...yeah, I understand now. By the way, that bear of yours is extremely boring! What else does he do except just sitting there, staring off into space?" he gasped suddenly. "Unless...he secretly vibrates too! How many speeds does he have and how do you control him? Is he battery-operated?"

"No, you pervert! Get your mind out of the gutter! Mr. Cuddles is an extremely innocent teddy bear, given to me by my mother, so don't go around smearing his reputation to be anything else," Elena rolled her eyes at his insinuation.

"Hmm, I don't know, that comeback was a tad too defensive for your relationship to be all innocent. I think you're cheating on me with your bear. I'll go ask him," Daman said cheekily as he got up and made his way upstairs into her room, enjoying himself immensely. He had missed their playfulness and teasing interactions, so he decided to throw caution to the wind and try to get her to loosen up around him to get past their previous awkwardness. Thankfully, she rose to the challenge as she chased after him before her bear could come to any harm.

"Umm, Stef? Do you think we should leave them alone?" Caroline whispered, happy to see that her friends' seemed to have recovered from their previous tiff.

"Why? We still need to finish our fundraising planning since there's still so much to do. We'll just take a break now and resume when they're back," Stefan told her distractedly, deep in concentration as he went through his notes.

"Ugghhh, Stefan! Sometimes you can be so...obtuse!" Caroline yelled in exasperation. "Can't you see that they are _finally_ getting along again?"

"Yeah, and I'm happy for them, but I think it's a little weird if both of us suddenly disappears and if they know that we left to give them some privacy, then they'd both be feeling self-conscious and awkward again. Besides, with us as a buffer, we can keep the atmosphere light and casual, which is what you're great at!" Stefan smiled a genuine smile, rendering Caroline spell-bound for a second at his comment.

Meanwhile, upstairs in Elena's bedroom, the mood was anything but light and casual. Damon was laughing his head off as he held Mr. Cuddles high above his head, out of Elena's reach as she jumped a few times to try to snatch her bear back, but he was too tall.

"Gimme my bear, Damon!" she ordered as she panted.

"I just wanna see if Mr. Cuddles is more than meets the eye. I'll give him back once I'm satisfied with my inspection, Elena," he chuckled at her pout as he lowered and sniffed the bear's rump. "Hmm, he smells kinda funky, I wonder why that is," he grinned mischievously.

"He does _not_ smell funky! Give him back to me, or I swear I'll, I'll, I'll..." she started to threaten.

"You'll what? Jump some more? You'll never reach him, so you're just making yourself tired out," he responded in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up! I have to go pee, but I'll be back to claim him, so don't be getting any ideas," she grumbled before heading into the attached bathroom.

Sighing gleefully, Damon plonked down on the bed and leaned back onto the pillows with one hand behind his head and the other just holding Elena's bear on his chest. He hoped that they were back to their friendly and comfortable relationship that they had just before Elena moved in with him. He felt much happier knowing that she must have felt the same if she was open enough to be so playful with him. His thoughts were interrupted abruptly when Elena suddenly ran out of the bathroom via the walk-in wardrobe and jumped towards Damon who reacted instinctively and rolled his body beyond her reach. His unexpected movement caused her to land on the edge of the bed and bounced onto the floor, landing unharmed on her butt.

"Shit! Elena, are you okay?" his voice immediately filled with concern as he reached down to pull her up carefully from the floor.

"Yeah, I can't believe I missed!" she replied resentfully, embarrassed that she fell in front of him. She had to remember to be less klutzy next time.

"What about the baby? Do you think he's okay? You landed kind of hard," his eyes still worriedly surveying her body for any signs of bruises.

"Damon, I landed on my butt!" she retorted, her hands cupping her butt cheeks to reiterate her point. "FYI, that's _not_ where the baby is."

Relieved that she was completely safe and sound, he smiled and teased, "It's not? Then where's the baby at, oh smart-one?"

"I'll tell you if you give me Mr. Cuddles back," she bargained. He rolled his eyes and gave it back to her.

"Thank you! I have it on the best authority that the baby is...somewhere in this very room!" she announced in a triumphant voice.

"Ahh, a mystery then! I suspect that you knocked your head a little when you fell though, otherwise you're just being naturally weird. So come on, weirdo, we've left Caroline and Stefan alone downstairs long enough. We're probably being very bad hosts to them, not that Stefan'd mind," he grinned lazily, thinking of his brother spending some alone time with his crush.

"It's your fault! If you didn't mess with Mr. Cuddles I'd probably be downstairs, bored out of my mind talking about fundraiser stuff. But it's for a good cause, so I'm actually glad to be helping," she said as they made their way downstairs to join the other two.

"To be honest, I'd rather watch grass grow, but hey, if it makes you happy, then I guess I'd deal with it," Damon shrugged as they entered the living room. "Hey, anyone hungry? I can whip up some dinner if you guys feel like eating lasagne."

"Cool, I'll help," Stefan immediately volunteered and he got up to join his brother in the kitchen, eager for a chance to talk to him alone.

"Sounds good, thanks, Damon!" Caroline looked relieved that they were back. She'd been dying to ask Elena's advice on something. "Elena, come here! I need to ask you something," she whispered frantically. Elena moved closer to the blonde in alarm.

"What's up? Why are we whispering?"

"You heard what happened during lunch here last week, right? Ric said that Stefan had a crush on me when he was younger, do you think that's true?" Caroline asked seriously.

"Yes, and I think he still does. I've noticed the way he looks at you when he thinks you're not looking. It's like he can't even blink, which is so cute to watch," Elena giggled.

"Really? Oh, Elena, do you think I should ask him out? Would it be weird, considering how close I am to him and to his whole family as well? I mean, I don't want us to be awkward and uncomfortable with each other if it doesn't work out, you know," Caroline explained nervously, her eyes straying over to the kitchen door, keeping a lookout for the guys' return.

"Well, maybe you don't ask him out on an official date. Maybe you can ju- I got it! Ask him to be your date for the fundraiser! It's perfect! That way, it's like a non-date but you'd be going together, so-"

"Yes! It'd be a non-date date! You're absolutely brilliant, Lena! Except, how do I ask him without sounding lame?" the blonde asked, casting hopeful eyes on Elena.

"All right, I'll take care of it! If you end up getting married from my match-making skills, you're naming your firstborn after me!" Elena warned.

**/(o^o)\**

"When you and Elena were upstairs, I think Care and I had a moment. Ever since Ric outed me to everyone about my little crush on Care since we were kids, she's been...acting different around me. It's like she's been watching for signs if I still had a crush on her. Do you think I'm being obvious?" Stefan asked as he helped Damon to prepare the ingredients for dinner.

"Yes, Stefan, I think my next door neighbour even knows about your crush! Elena thinks the feeling's mutual," Damon said casually.

"Really? She said that? Did Caroline say that to her? Does she talk about me at all?" Stefan asked eagerly.

"What are we, a couple of gossipy teenage girls?" Damon frowned in disgust. "OMG, Caroline totally checked you out! You two will be the most awesomest couple in the whole wide world!" his voice rose a few octaves higher as he imitated a teenage girl. "Look, you're both adults, so if you want to date her, then just ask her out. You'll never get anywhere if you just keep on pining from afar."

"Yeah, you're right. I should ask her out, huh? But what if she said no? I have my pride after all, so I don't know what to do or say if she rejected me," Stefan said nervously.

"Then _don't_ give her a chance to reject you. I got it; you can ask her to accompany you as a date to the fundraiser event. That way, she can't say no because she's already going, and yet it's a casual first date without too much pressure," Damon grinned broadly at his own bright idea.

"Yeah! I could do that! It's perfect! Thanks, brother!" Stefan grinned back happily.

"You're welcome. I'm willing to help anytime if it meant that my little brother gets laid, finally. I swear your virginity's starting to grow back on again after the length of dry spell since your last girlfriend."

"Gee thanks, my regrown virginity and I thank you from the bottom of our ball sacs," Stefan replied wryly just before the girls entered the kitchen in a jovial mood.

"Hey, it smells delicious in here. What is it?" Elena asked, breathing in deeply through her nose to identify the smell.

"Stefan's ball sacs, apparently. Umm, I think it's the butter smell you're attracted to, Elena," Damon guessed. He had suggested lasagne for dinner since he knew that Elena had a cheesy and Italian herbs-fetish. He wasn't about to be adventurous with another dish to end up with her being sick the rest of the night. He had to admit that it was a fun day in despite the fact that he was now involved in the fundraising committee.

"Yeah, the butter smells mouth-watering. Say, Stefan, are you going with anyone to the fundraiser?" Elena casually changed the topic.

"Err, I haven't asked anybody yet, why?" he replied cautiously, afraid that his plans will be ruined if he said the wrong thing.

"Well, since Damon and I are going together, since well, I'm his wife and I have to, and Jenna and Ric are also going together, so I'm wondering if you and Caroline wanted to be each other's dates. I don't want her to be dateless or she'd feel left out, and I also don't want to look for a young handsome guy to be her date when I have so many things to do before the event. So, what do you say? Help out a friend?" Elena pleaded with her Bambi-eyes.

"Err, Care, what do you think? I will if you will," Stefan replied in shock, unable to believe that securing his first date with Caroline would be so easy, thanks to Elena.

"Come on, just agree you guys. Once Elena arms herself with her Bambi eyes, there's no saying no to her. Believe me, I've tried it myself," Damon warned, chuckling loudly.

"Sure, it's a date!" Caroline and Stefan agreed in unison, and then they both grinned broadly at their respective confidantes.

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><p>It was the night of the fundraiser and Elena was rushing through her day with a million things to arrange before the event began. She had arranged for the press to attend so that they'd get some free publicity for SSF's future projects and so everything had to be just right. That was the reason why she was running late and hurried to get herself ready before Caroline killed her for being late.<p>

She had already showered and did her hair and make-up; now all she had to do was get into her dress and then she'd be ready. For some reason, she was having trouble with the zipper of the dress she'd picked out to wear. It was stuck halfway up her back, the metal zipper refusing to budge in either direction so she was well and truly stuck seeing that she was unable to take it off and change into another dress. She was cursing at the zipper for a full ten minutes before she gave up and went to look for Damon who was waiting for her in the living room.

"Damon? I need a favour. Can you please help me with the zipper? I can't seem to move it," she asked in an apologetic voice.

"Sure. Turn around and let me look," he moved to stand behind her, and admired the view of exposed flesh between the unzipped portion of the dress. He reached out a trembling hand, nervous that he was allowed to touch her in such close proximity, and pulled the zipper...downwards, revealing even more skin as he gazed dreamily at her smooth skin, belatedly realizing that she was braless beneath the dress.

"Umm, Damon? When I said I move the zipper, I meant upwards, because I'm _wearing_ the dress, not undressing," she reminded gently. However, he didn't seem to have heard her as he remained mesmerized at the sight of her soft skin, as proven when he ran a finger in agonizingly slow speed up the exposed skin from the base of the zipper all the way to her neck, making her shiver from his hypnotic touch. When she felt that same finger started to reverse its path down her back again, she stepped away in alarm and the loss of contact managed to snap him from his trance.

"Sorry, I was just...distracted by the lack of a bra under that dress," he mumbled, still feeling slightly preoccupied with the intimate moment between them.

"Yeah, I have to go get new ones; this pregnancy definitely has some impact on my body in terms of sizes. I'll...get changed into another dress and then we can leave," she explained hurriedly and then fled upstairs into her walk-in wardrobe where she tried to make sense of what just happened. The shock of feeling his touch was completely overwhelming and she had to remind herself that they were late and that she would have time to freak out alone in bed later that night. She drew in a deep breath to clear her mind and changed into another dress that didn't have any zippers, and steeled herself as she made her way downstairs. It was gonna be another long night.

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><p>Luckily for the both of them, that tense moment between them were forgotten almost as soon as they arrived at the event at the mansion, as Caroline immediately swooped in on Elena and dragged her away from Damon to the auction counter where she was made in charge of all financial contributions. So, Damon was left to meet and greet the guests alongside Stefan and Ric who arrived earlier.<p>

The rest of the night went smoothly; the guests had enjoyed themselves and made sizeable contributions to the cause, much to Stefan's delight. Elena enjoyed herself immensely, much to her surprise since the event was filled with rich snooty people, much like her wedding. In fact, the highlight of the night was when she was seated at the counter, talking to some friendlier guests when the crowd parted and who else but the rich bitch heiress herself came strolling up to her with her usual smug smile on her face.

"Well, hello Mrs. Salvatore," she purred, the sound of her voice like fingernails on chalkboard to Elena. "I should have known you would be put to work on such an event by Stefan. You must be used to getting minimum wage by now," she gave a short fake laugh. "Oh yes, I've been meaning to ask you, how did you like my wedding present to you? I'm sure it must be heavily utilised by now, seeing as how much time your husband spends with me in our apartment."

"Wedding present? Oh yes, I forgot to write you a thank you note for your kind thought. I'm afraid it's still wrapped up in the lovely box it came with, after all, why would I need a replica when I have the real thing pleasuring me every night and morning?" Elena kept a polite smile on her face as she sighed dramatically. "Poor Damon, he's always so tired after several rounds of passionate sex throughout the day that I highly doubt he'd be able to 'spend time' with you. Perhaps you're suffering from hallucination or starting to go blind from all that Botox you've been injecting yourself with. Tsk tsk tsk, oh dear, you really ought to cut down on that, or you will be stuck with that pained expression on your face forever. If you're in need of some cheering up, I would be happy to lend you that dildo; you seem to need it more than I do, Kristine, was it?" Elena paused as if trying to recall her name and smiled sweetly.

"It's Katherine," she bit out through clenched jaw.

"Whatever. Please enjoy the rest of the night, and make some contributions to support the cause!" Elena grinned triumphantly and then she turned around, intending to search for Caroline or Jenna, but she bumped into a hard chest; Damon Salvatore.

"Lena," he grinned down at her as he ignored Katherine's shocked gaze, "sweetheart, may I have this dance? I've been _dying_ to get my hands on you the whole night, and I really can't wait till we get home." Elena nodded wordlessly and smiled gratefully up at him as she let him lead her to the dance floor as the band played Otis Redding's 'These Arms of Mine'.

"I'm sorry for that. I just wanted to wipe that smirk off her face," Elena lifted her bright eyes to his amused ones, while he gathered her in his arms and pulled her close for a waltz.

"Don't apologize. I'm so incredibly proud of you right now," pride shone in his eyes as he gazed down at her in wonder. "So, _several_ rounds of passionate sex every day, huh? A bit of an over achiever, aren't you? Either that or you have a _lot_ of faith in me. You know, seeing you stand up for yourself to she-devil over there is such a turn-on. If we weren't in a platonic relationship, I daresay I'd have you pressed up against the wall with your dress around your waist by now," he dipped her low as he arched her back. He decided to be forthright and tell it like it is, to hell with her sensibilities. She was a confident woman who could handle herself well under pressure. He intended to test her response to his flirting or rather, downright sexual advances.

She was breathing heavily by the time he pulled her back up again, staring directly at him while her body reacted to his straightforwardness. "That would have looked extremely silly with a roomful of strangers right here in the ballroom. Besides, we would have gotten in trouble with Caroline for doing something that wasn't pre-approved by her," she cleverly deflected his teasing by refusing to react to his statement. She could see the approval in his eyes as he chuckled deeply and continued twirling her around the dance floor.

A moment later, she felt a tap on her shoulder and she broke her eye contact with Damon to find herself face-to-face with Rosalyn Salvatore.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt you two, but might I have a word with Elena. I wanted to introduce her to one of my friends," Damon's mother smiled apologetically at her son, who gracefully nodded his consent and stepped away from Elena. In a daze, she followed Rosalyn into the empty study room. She was beginning to see a pattern here, most of her conversations with a member of Salvatore family happened right here in the study. It's like the official room to have life-changing discussions in.

"Elena, I know we haven't seen each other since the wedding, and I wanted to see how you were coping with everything," Rosalyn smiled kindly as she studied her daughter-in-law.

"I'm as good as I'll ever be, marriage life is not completely what I had expected."

"Of course it isn't, not when you and my son are denying everything you're feeling for each other," Rosalyn commented without any further preamble, unsettling Elena with her usual candid manner. "Just because I don't see you or live with you, doesn't mean that I don't know what's going on. Besides, I heard from a little bird some interesting events that happened during the wedding reception and later that night."

"Let me guess, the little bird has blonde hair, blue eyes and goes by the name Caroline?" Elena said drily, not completely surprised that her friend wasn't able to keep her mouth shut.

"Indeed," Rosalyn nodded in confirmation. "I know what Katherine's intentions are and I hoped that you wouldn't fall for it, but I guess it's my son's own fault for not being honest to you from the start. That woman cannot be trusted at all, and she will not hesitate to create chaos around her just to get what she wants. Now, I know that you and Damon care about each other, that much was obvious right from the start. But what I saw between you two in the week before the wedding was even more encouraging. I've never seen Damon so happy; he was as giddy as a school boy with you. I saw the same signs from you - you were genuinely happy on your wedding day. So what happened after that? Was it what Katherine said?"

"Yes and no. What she said was hurtful, but I gave Damon the benefit of the doubt and let him explain everything about his plan to expose her and Mason Lockwood's trickery to sabotage the company business that obviously meant a lot to Damon and his father. But what I was most upset about was the fact that he committed to me that we'd be a real family, that we'd have a real marriage in spite of his father's one-year stipulation that would lead to a divorce. He may have had that intention at the time, but then I asked what would happen if he wasn't able to get the information he needed to expose Katherine and Mason by the end of that year. It was obvious that he had to go through with his father's plan to marry her after all if he wanted to save the company. So I decided to just stick to the initial agreement of having the one-year marriage and protect myself against losing a family again. If I let myself fall in love with him, I would just get hurt again when I lose him to her or his company again. I don't want to go through the pain of losing someone I loved again, I just can't take that. So, I'm sorry but we can't be what you hoped we'd become, not if we would both end up hurting. It's just not something that I can do," Elena sighed wearily as she sank down onto the leather couch.

"So you decided to let go of Damon once and for all, is that it? You're forcing yourself not to feel for him, and letting him handle the Katherine business by himself. Elena, I know that you're an intelligent woman and despite your young age, I think you are an extremely resourceful person who can get what she wants if you want it bad enough. Caroline told me about your ideas for the fundraiser and I must admit that they were very good ideas, and I'm impressed that you managed to see them through to fruition. And so, I applaud you for a job well done in this successful endeavour. I'm curious though, why haven't you offered to help Damon with Katherine and Mason? I know that you're a compassionate person and willing to do whatever you can to help your friends, so why not help Damon in his investigation?" Rosalyn asked, taking a seat next to her daughter-in-law.

"I-I don't know, I guess it never occurred to me to help. I don't know a thing about the company and I didn't know if Damon would want me meddling in his business. I can handle helping to organize a fundraiser, but corporate espionage? That's a crime investigation and I don't have the resources or the means to contribute anything useful," Elena declared, but despite that, the wheels in her mind were already starting to turn, looking for ways to get a lead.

"I think that you underestimate yourself, Elena. Look, I know that you feel something for my son, whether you admit it to yourself or not. And I can't accept that a smart person like you would actually sit back and watch him walk away from your life without putting up a fight. You're right about Damon; he's absolutely loyal to the company and he would do _anything_ in his power to see that he doesn't lose it to someone else based on some trickery, as you call it. But Elena, what if one day he feels the same way about _you_? What if _you're_ the one he's loyal to that he will do everything in his power to protect, even risking his father's wrath or expectations. There will come a time when he comes to a crossroad and he will realize that having a business and financial security will not keep him warm at night or feel the loneliness without a loved one beside him to share all his successes with. He needs you, Elena, more than he realizes now, but he will realize it one day. I just don't want you to not be there beside him when he _does_ realize it.

You'll need him as much too, if you'll let yourself be willing to just be happy. You can't be scared of losing people you love all your life, people come and go, and that's just a fact of life! If you never let yourself love and be loved, then you'll never truly feel, and if you don't feel, then you'll just end up a wrinkled prune like my husband, using possessions and money to feel happy. I don't want that kind of life for you and Damon. Don't let this Katherine issue be an excuse to hold back your feelings for one another! Fight, Elena, fight for him. Help him fight for you, too. I really don't want my grandchild to grow up without either parent," Rosalyn finished softly, hoping that the girl who managed to impress her will not fail her.

Elena sat there quietly, letting Rosalyn's advice wash over her, and she pondered over her options. On the one hand, she'd lose Damon in the end if nothing goes according to plan, but if she doesn't try, she would have lost him already! And on the other hand, she remembered how good it felt to fight back and stand her ground to Katherine earlier tonight, along with Damon's reaction and how proud he was of her for not letting Katherine win. She imagined how much she'd stand to gain if she beat Katherine in _this_ case, not to mention be rid of her for good!

"How can I help him?" as soon as she asked the question, she saw Rosalyn's eyes lit up with approval and pride, and she instantly felt that she made the right choice.

"Well, I heard that you wanted to study journalism, didn't you? So I thought I'd introduce a close friend to you, and see if you can get an idea as to how to approach such a case," Rosalyn smiled eagerly, as she stood up and walked over to the study doors to open it and motioned for someone to enter.

Elena stood up as the person entered the study room and approached her with a friendly gaze. "Elena, I've heard so much about you; all wonderful things. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Elijah, Elijah Smith," the charming man smiled warmly and shook her hand as she stared at him in shock.

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><p><strong>See? I <span>do<span> read your reviews and heed your requests! This chapter is dedicated to all fans of Mr. Cuddles and Elijah.**

**Hmm, part does Elijah play in the whole plot of Elena helping Damon? What does Elijah's presence do for Delena's relationship? Perhaps a more important question would be: Is Damon's manhood safe from anything right now? **

**I don't know, I can't commit to anything right now if I don't feel the love *wink***

**And by Golly! What's the little button with blue words down there? Such a peculiar little thing, isn't it? Almost makes you want to click on it to see what magical realm it will transport you to, doesn't it? Go on, click on it and see where it leads you...perhaps that little button is my virtual clit, the more you click on it, the _faster_ my responses would be! **

**Okay, oversharing just a tad too much, but you get the drift! **

**So again, please R E V I E W. Thank you very much! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks again for all the reviews and story alerts. Sorry I didn't have time to reply every single review, been busy but I will get to it, I promise! **

**I'm glad that so many of you liked the return of Rosalyn, Mr. Cuddles and the new guest star, Elijah! So, please enjoy this chapter, although it's mainly plot!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: Protégé<strong>

"_Elijah Smith_? As in, Elijah Smith - Investigative Reporter? _That_ Elijah Smith?" Elena exclaimed in awe, unable to believe that the multiple Pulitzer Prize winner of New York Times is standing in front of her, claiming to have heard of _her_.

"Ahh, so you've heard of me? And by the way, I'd prefer to call it 'accountability reporting', it sounds more macho," Elijah chuckled softly as he observed her wide-eyed reaction to his presence.

"Of course I've heard of you; we did an assignment on your exposés in college, before I quit to get ah...married. I'm such a huge fan of your work, Mr. Smith!" she gushed excitedly, feeling completely star-struck.

"Please, call me Elijah. Might as well be on first name basis if you're going to be my protégé for a while," he said charmingly.

"Pro-protégé? What the-how did-why is-what?" she blinked several times as she stammered in shock.

"I can already see your potential as a journalist based on what you just said as an indication," he teasingly responded. "You sure asked the right questions for starters. If only you'd finished them, you'd have a better rate of success of interviewing people. Rosalyn tells me that you're an aspiring journalist or a writer, and there's a particular story that you're interested to crack, one that involves the downfall of a Pierce and a Lockwood. So, I volunteered to help steer you in the right direction and if you're successful, I can get your story published with your very own byline. _That_ should jumpstart your career once you finish college."

"_You_ want to help me write an exposé and _I_ get to publish it, with my name on it and everything? I-I-I don't know what to say! Gosh, how can I thank you for this?" she had to stop herself from jumping up and down with glee at the thought of working alongside her journalist hero.

"Well, the pleasure of watching Mason Lockwood and Katherine go down in flames is satisfaction enough. Let's just say that I have a very personal reason to want those two to get their comeuppance, so it will be my honour to help you. Shall we talk it over during lunch tomorrow? I can pick you up and we'll have a nice long talk over a nice meal together. Is that acceptable to you?" he enquired.

"Yes, that would be fantastic! I'll be ready by say, noon?" she replied with a happy smile on her face.

"Perfect. Elena, I believe that this could be the start of a beautiful friendship," his warm brown eyes crinkled up in a genuine smile.

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><p>Over the next week, Elena spent almost every day with Elijah; picking his brain about breaking a story on corporate spying. During their first particular meeting over lunch, Elena sat down opposite her charming and collected idol with a notebook on one hand and a pen on the other.<p>

"Investigative reporting, as you call it, is similar to a typical crime investigation; first we have the victim or victims, and then there's the crime itself, the suspects, motives and the methods. The first thing you have to do is to identify your leads. The good news is that you already know all the major players in this story; Salvatore Corporation, Katherine Pierce and Lockwood Industries. Obviously, the victim is the Salvatore Corp. since they were the ones who suffered the most losses in this case. Lockwood Industries stands to gain the most, so that makes them our primary suspect. That makes Katherine our method. But what is her motive? Money? Power? Revenge? Those are what you have to find out. We all know Mason Lockwood's motive; his family and the Salvatores have been at each other's throats since...two generations ago," Elijah had told her as he lounged back in his chair, looking utterly at ease with the topic at hand. Elena, on the other hand, was busy scribbling away in her notebook, afraid to miss out anything important information.

"Okay, so now we have to confirm if Katherine is indeed the mole, I mean she's the most obvious one since she had access to Damon's files and she was having the affair with Mason Lockwood which started about the same time that Damon's company started losing major projects to Lockwood Industries. Yeah, the only thing I can't figure out is her motive since her father's filthy rich, and she doesn't appear to have any reason to revenge against Damon or the company. After all, her father is working _with_ the company," Elena said slowly, her mind processing each information as she voiced them out loud. "Unless, her father is playing both sides and he gains more from Lockwood if he sabotages the Salvatores. But then, why would he insist that his daughter marries into the Salvatore family if that's the case? Why would he create all this drama when he could have just worked with the Lockwoods directly?"

"Very good, Elena. You're putting your thinking cap on, and that's a great start to an investigation. It's good to ask questions and try to debunk them as a process of elimination. And remember, until you gather some evidences and narrow down your suspects, no one is to be trusted, not even Damon Salvatore. Circumstances may not be what they seem, so you should not be quick to assume anyone as innocent," he warned in a stern voice as Elena looked at him in shock.

"But you just said that the Salvatores were the victims, so of course Damon's innocent!" she argued, the idea that Damon could be the one behind the crime seemed preposterous to her.

"No, I said that Salvatore _Corporation_ was the victim, not a Salvatore. You'd be surprised to know how many cases I've come across where the supposed victim was the mastermind behind everything. Think about it; Katherine's his fiancée, so if she makes a lot of money from helping the Lockwoods, that could also mean that Damon also stands to gain a fortune from betraying his own company, the company that may or may not be his when Giuseppe retires in the near future. It's common knowledge that Giuseppe has doubts over his eldest son's ability to run the whole company which was why he made Nicholas Mikaelson as the Managing Director instead of his own son. The way I see it, Damon Salvatore definitely has a motive. You may not want to accept that, but it's true. And this is also precisely the reason why you _cannot_ tell Damon that we're investigating this case. In fact, the less people know about it, the better."

"I know Damon, and he's not the sort of person who does something like that. Besides, he loathes Katherine, so I doubt that he'd be willing to work with her to betray his own family. He would never risk something like that," she shook her head firmly and decided to push the thought of him being guilty out of her head.

"Greed is a powerful motivation for risk, Elena, but it's just a theory, one that I'll be happy for you to prove me wrong. But, as long as there's a doubt, then you mustn't assume that he's innocent. Trust me on this, Elena, and please ensure that you don't divulge our involvement to this case to him. Do I have your word on that?" he asked quietly, his eyes resting levelly on hers to gauge her reaction.

"Yes, you have my word on that, but I _will_ prove you wrong! So, how do we start to gather evidence? Do we just start tailing Katherine's every action to see who she meets and all that?"

"Well, some people hire private investigators to take photographic evidences of a physical relationship between the mole with the suspect, and some even plant listening devises for audio evidences. But that would involve a third-party, not to mention a considerable amount of money required to hire one. Right now, what you can do is to confirm if Katherine's indeed the mole for Mason Lockwood, so you have to employ the 'divide and conquer' move," Elijah explained methodically, as if it was all a very mundane subject.

"How do I do that? If by dividing you mean chop her up in tiny little pieces and scatter them to different parts of the earth so that she won't return as a zombie, then I'm all for it!" she grinned wryly as she imagined herself going all Bruce Lee on her arch-nemesis.

"Yes, if _only_ that was legal! But unfortunately, you're going to have to go for the sneaky route, meaning that you have to think of something that will make Lockwood distrust Katherine, and for that, you're gonna need Damon's help. Get him to throw some information her way, like a top secret project where Lockwood might be interested in. If she shows an interest and decides to snoop around, then we know for sure that she's the mole. How Lockwood responds then will obviously tell us whether he's in on the whole thing too. And if he lost the project, then he will start to doubt Katherine." He then leaned forward towards her as if he just thought of something.

"It would also be helpful if you have your own 'inside man' in Lockwood Industries. We call that a 'whistleblower' and that person will be your eyes and ears throughout the investigation, though we're only using him or her to feed us information related to the case, not to spy on them in return. Elena, we have to make sure that everything we do is above-board; nothing illegal," he warned.

"Of course! Don't worry about that; I'm too young and pregnant to go to jail right now, so I won't do anything illegal. By the way, you still haven't told me what personal vendetta you have against Katherine and Lockwood," she reminded as she remembered what he said to her during their first meeting at the fundraiser.

"That will be another story for another time. I will tell it to you soon, but right now you have to go home and think about what you've learnt today. It may be a little overwhelming at first, but try to think of it all as objectively as you can. Don't attach too much emotion to this story, because you'll tend to lose sight of the bigger picture that way. Right now, your focus is on Katherine, so it's up to you to figure out a way to test if she's the mole first before we proceed further. For all we know, we may very well be barking up the wrong tree," he told her as she nodded in understanding. Her mind was already formulating a plan to 'interview' Damon without being too obvious. She may have to bring up the 'friendship' card and offer him her help to expose Katherine's duplicity. Oh, she'd give anything to be rid of the evil bitch for good!

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><p>Damon was working late again that weekend due to some new projects referred by Nathan Pierce. Personally, he hated spending so much time away from Elena now that they were being friendly again. God knows how much he'd missed her company that week ever since that fundraiser event. He could tell that there were subtle changes in her personality that were especially evident that night when she took on Kat and managed to come out on top. The way she had teased him back when he made a blatant sexual innuendo when they were dancing together also showed how much she'd grown in the short time that he'd known her. And God-damnit if he didn't find himself falling for her even more at this confident, defiant, wittier and improved version of her former self.<p>

He didn't see her as the innocent teenager that had sidestepped around him to get to the bathroom in Ric's apartment the night he had slept with her the first time; she was now a woman who was his match in every single way and now, there was no doubt in his mind at all now that she was meant to be with him. He made up his mind right then to spend every single waking hour to convince her of that fact.

And so, Damon entered his house at ten p.m. in high spirits at the thought of seeing Elena after a long and tiring day at work. However, his jovial mood immediately took a nosedive when he walked into the living room to find Elena sitting in front of the TV in tears and hugging her bear tightly to her chest with crumpled tissues all around her.

"Elena? What's wrong? Why are you upset?" he asked in a panic as he rounded the sofa to stand in front of her. His heart dropped to his stomach when he saw her heartbroken expression and her puffy red eyes, indicating how long she'd been crying alone at home.

She shook her head silently and gave herself up to another fresh bout of tears as she caught his concerned gaze.

"Please tell me, Elena," he whispered as he kneeled down and gathered her in his arms, wanting to absorb whatever hurt she was feeling so that she would stop torturing him with her cries. "Is something wrong with the baby?" she shook her head and continued to sob.

"Then, what is it? Are you upset that I left you alone at home for so long?" his heart tugged as guilt settled over him. He knew that it wasn't fair of him to leave her alone to handle such a big house by herself, not to mention the pregnancy. She shook her head again, much to his surprise.

"Then why, sweetheart? You're crying as if someone died," his eyes widened in horror when his words seemed to evoke an even worse reaction in her as she was positively wailing now, unable to speak from hiccupping.

"Oh God, someone _died_? Who is it? Why didn't you call me?" his voice broke at the thought of losing someone close to him and his mind flashed with images of his family members, his new close friends including Jenna, Bonnie and Jeremy. He got up to sit on the sofa next to her and cradled her head to his chest as her tears soaked his white shirt and jacket. His hands stroked through her soft hair gently as he attempted to provide some form of comfort to her even while he was wild with worry over the news of a death.

"N-no, it w-was Ha-hachiko!" she managed to stammer out amidst hiccups.

"Who?"

"Hachiko! The dog," her voice sounded stronger now as she tried to tell him about the character of a movie.

"We have a dog? Since when? How did I not even notice a dog around here?" he asked in puzzlement as he automatically looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dog who apparently died. Oh! He rolled his eyes at himself when he realised that the dog wouldn't be running around if it has in fact, died.

"No, Damon. Here, I'll show you," she sniffed loudly and pressed the rewind button on the remote control and then an image of a dog sitting in front of a railway station appeared on the TV screen.

Damon was incredulous as he stared at the TV, unable to believe that she was so upset over a movie. He couldn't stop the bubble of laughter that welled up in his chest as he sighed in relief that the situation wasn't as dire as he had initially thought. Man, she really scared the crap out of him!

"You're laughing at me? That's kinda mean, don't you think? I mean, that wonderful dog just died and you're laughing!" she scowled in annoyance.

"Sweetheart, if you'll laugh as well, then I'd be laughing _with_ you, not at you! You really had me worried there for a second, I wouldn't have expected in a million years that you'd be crying over a fictional character!" he fought hard against his natural instinct to roll his eyes at her silly tears when he saw how upset she still was.

"He's not fictional! This movie was based on a real story about the loyalty and the bond between a dog and a professor. It happened for real in Japan where the dog, Hachiko walked his owner to the train station every morning, and he'd be waiting at the exact same spot in the evening to see his master's train arrive and they walk home again," tears started pouring from her eyes again as she started telling the story to make him understand the value of loyalty.

"One day, the professor died from a heart attack at school and never came back, but Hachiko sat waiting for him every day without fail for the next nine years! It didn't matter that the professor's daughter took him away to live with her in another town; he somehow managed to escape and made his way back to that train station to wait. He got so old and weak that he just passed away as he sat there waiting. His loyalty became a well-known story in Japan, and they even had a statue made of him located at the train station until now. It's a sad and touching story, Damon. That's why I'm crying, because the idea of a living thing having that kind of bond and loyalty to another is so beautiful!" She stared up at him with watery eyes and waited for his reaction.

He gave her a sad smile as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You're right, it's a beautiful story. And I can understand that kind of commitment the dog had for its master. I would wait a lifetime for someone that I loved too. You might find a statue of me sitting right here one day, waiting for the one that I love to love me back," her breath caught in her throat as he smiled dreamily and ran his finger across her cheek so softly, as if she would break.

"If you wanted, I could take you to Japan to find that statue of Hachiko if it'll make you feel better. And you shouldn't be crying over the fact that he died and lost his master; you should celebrate that they found each other in the first place and had a chance to share the mutual love and bond they felt for each other in however short a time they were together. If anything, this story shows us how life is short and we never know when we'd lose the person we love the most. So it's up to us to just appreciate what we have right now and live in the present, not to look back and regret over what we did or didn't do," he finished softly, his tone sincere and obviously referring to both of them, not humans in general.

"Damon, I..." her voice caught in her throat as she didn't know what to say to that statement. They were back to the inevitable discussion again, about their relationship and how great they'd be together as oppose to their current arrangement.

"I know, Elena, we're just friends. I'll accept that, for now, but you have to refrain from watching these kinds of movies from now on. They get you all hormonal and weepy, and the only thing I'm scared of is a woman crying. It makes me feel extremely helpless and sad when I don't know how to fix it," he admitted in defeat as he used his fingers to wipe her wet cheeks before he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"Okay, I'll stop watching these movies that turns me into a blubbering mess, but only if you'll tell me what you planned to do with Katherine," her challenge was thrown casually but she could feel Damon immediately tensed up at the sudden mention of his ex.

"Why would you bring her up at a time like this? I thought we were bonding, and then suddenly, you start talking about the woman who turned my life into a havoc! You have the worst sense of timing, Elena!"

"Well, we were talking about loyalty and how life is short, so naturally I wondered if you've made any progress in investigating her as the mole in your company?" she asked directly, hoping that he'd say yes, and it was almost done, but alas, she had no such luck!

"No, I'm afraid not. To be honest, I haven't had the time, and we're currently swamped with new projects we're bidding on. Also, I don't know where to start!" he announced with a weary smile.

"Well then, you're just in luck because I've just decided that I'll help you nail her!"

"Umm...that ship had sailed a long time ago and I wouldn't want to be on that ship ever again! I'd sooner be on Titanic!" He rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Eww, no Damon, I'm talking about catching her in the act. If you think that she's the mole, why can't we figure out a way to lure her out and we can investigate her fully! As far as I know, she's guilty right? Is she your prime suspect?" she asked.

"She's my _only_ suspect! Well, her and Mason. What did you have in mind, Sherlock?" he sat back against the sofa and regarded her seriously.

"Well, I'm thinking that you need to prove your theory that she's feeding Mason Lockwood all the information on all the projects you're working on. So, I'm thinking that you lay a few false trails of some super top secret projects to different people with different details so if you hear that Mason Lockwood is interested in a particular one, then you'd know for sure who's the informer. Once you know his contact, let's say it _was_ Katherine, then we can do the 'divide and conquer' trick where you give her a higher bid price than what you'd intended. So, with the insider information, Lockwood would lower down his bid price by a slightly lower price, fully confident that they'd get the project, but if you end up winning the bid, then they'd begin to doubt their informer. We just need to do this a few times in order for him to completely distrust her, then she's out of the picture. Once we flush her out with sufficient information, perhaps we can convince her to turn on Lockwood since she's a selfish bitch and self-preservation is more important to her than loyalty, right?" she was breathless by the time she finished telling him about her plan.

"Elena, I'm...speechless and impressed by your brilliant plan, but let's get one thing straight; there's no 'we' when it comes to Katherine and Mason. Trust me - you don't want to involve yourself in this mess. I really appreciate your wanting to help, but I'd rather you stay far away from my company's problems. I don't want you to have to worry about anything other than being happily pregnant, and figuring out how to decorate the nursery. I'll clean up my own mess, Elena. It's not something you should be worried about. But, thank you for your ideas. It's seriously the right approach to reveal the true culprit once and for all, and I'm just so amazed by how much effort you've obviously put into this. Now, _I_ feel like crying," he gave her a wobbly grin as he studied her with impressed eyes.

"Well, please don't! You'd just set me off again, seeing how hormonal I am now, and once the waterworks start going, there may be no stopping it!" Elena pouted. "But Damon, you have to understand that I'd be worried whether I'm involved in it or not, so it's actually better if you keep me informed about what happens. I could help you out, like give ideas and stuff. The sooner we solve this Katherine and Mason case, the better it is for us to finally put it all behind us. Unless, of course that you have something to hide from me, which will make sense if you didn't want my help," she threw out the thinly veiled threat at him, hoping that he'd bite.

"Well, if you put it _that_ way, then I guess I have to prove that I have _nothing_ to hide. But you'll only be contributing ideas, okay? Don't go getting any bright ideas about confronting Katherine or run surveillance on her while sitting in a car, eating donuts or anything like that. I don't want you to play detective and get yourself in trouble. You have no idea what the Lockwoods might do if they are backed into a corner, so just be very careful, okay? I can't bear it if something happened to you," he told her softly.

"Nothing's going to happen to me, Damon. Well, except that I have to go to the bathroom _again_ for the umpteenth time tonight. Hold on, be right back," she smiled to herself for her easy victory and got up to go to the bathroom.

Damon couldn't help but to feel elated at the proof that she cared about him enough to help him with his company's problems. Once Katherine and Mason were out of the way rotting in a prison or wherever they were sent to, he had no doubt that Elena would be more receptive to the idea of her and him be a real family again. For the first time in a long time, he felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps this was also another sign that they were at last moving forward in the right direction.

Her phone that was left on the sofa cushion let out a beep to indicate an incoming text message. Without thinking further about it, he flipped up her phone and read the message that appeared on the screen. For the second time on the same night, he felt his heart dropped as his eyes swept across the small screen:

_**Dear Elena, I hope that you've considered my advice about Damon carefully. I would love to see you again next Friday, same time and same place. I'll pick you up again like I did this week. Hope you'll be ready to advance to the next step with me then. Elijah.**_

What the hell? ?

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><p><strong>I apologise again for the slow(er) update as I have to finish my work before I leave for a 1-week vacation on the 3rd of May. I'm rushing to move this story along so, if this chapter is a little dry, then please accept my humblest apology. It's basically plot and Elijah's role in making Damon doubt Elena's feelings for him. <strong>

**I'll try to squeeze out another chapter before I leave for my vacation but if not, then I'll 'see' you guys next week. It helps if you review, though! **

**Thank you! **


	15. Chapter 15

**WOOHOO! *does happy dance and then steps on a banana peel and slips and knocks my head – therefore needing the vacation time off from May 3rd to 8th.***

**Over 300 reviews! That's way more than the reviews I got for my first Delena story "When Love and Hate Collides". Psst! If you haven't read it yet, you should, while waiting for my next update after my hols. Just some shameless self-promotion! But then, that's where Mr. Cuddles originated from, and Damon spent way more time with Mr. Cuddles in THAT story than this one.**

**So, I just wanna scream from the rooftops that I just love all my readers and reviewers for without any of you, I wouldn't have gotten over 300 reviews, so THANK YOU SO MUCH! Ok, now I'm aiming for 500...LOL, greed does that to me! I'm spoilt like that.**

*****UPDATE: I AM BACK! You guys don't know how much I missed my little Fanfiction family while I was on holiday! 17 reviews for an unfinished chapter are totally awesome! Thanks for all the safe-flight/trip/enjoy-the-holiday wishes in your comments! But I think I am jealous of you guys who didn't go anywhere as you got to watch episode 21 last week while I had to wait until today to watch it! NOT FAIR!**

**Okay, this is the finished Chapter 15 and I made some tweaks here and there so I would be much obliged if you read it from the start again! THANKS!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: First Glimpse<strong>

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><p><em><strong>Dear Elena, I hope that you've considered my advice about Damon carefully. I would love to see you again next Friday, same time and same place. I'll pick you up again like I did this week. Hope you'll be ready to advance to the next step with me then. Elijah.<strong>_

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><p>"She's in love with this guy, I <em>know<em> she is! She's dating him! My _wife_ is dating! And you know what's worse? Whoever she dates, my baby dates too. Oh God, what if she's having sex, too? I sure as hell don't want anybody's parts anywhere near her-it-damnit! What the hell am I supposed to do now?" Damon ranted as he paced around in his office, his hands pulling at his hair in frustration.

"You don't _know_ that! You're jumping to conclusions based on a text message that could have meant a dozen other things," Ric sat back on Damon's leather sofa with his arms crossed in front of his chest as he studied the flustered man who was boring a hole on the office carpet.

"It's Elena! _Of course_ some other guy is interested in her - she's hot! Where does she meet these guys anyway? First, she meets Dr. Hotness, who is her _Obstetrician cum_ Gynaecologist, and then there's this Elijah guy who is picking her up and going God-knows-where and convincing her to take the next step with him! I'm losing her, Ric. I can feel it in my bones. I'm losing her and I can't do a thing about it," Damon said dejectedly as he sank down on the sofa next to his best friend with his head in his hands. A moment later, he shot up again and resumed his pacing since he was too worked up to sit still.

"Can you really feel it in your bones, man? I've _never_ felt anything in my bones before. How does it feel?" Ric cocked his head sideways in a thoughtful pose.

"It feels like crap is what it feels like! You are _such_ a great friend, Ric, always willing to lend an ear when your buddy's life is falling apart!" Damon retorted sarcastically as he glared at the sandy blonde haired man.

"Jeez, your sense of humour is sorely lacking ever since you fell in love! Anyway, that message could be from her therapist. Do you know if she's seeing one, since she's dealing with a lot since her parents died? Maybe the next step the guy referred to is related to their sessions? Or...he could be her yoga instructor; the next step could be a particular hard bendy thing she has to do," Ric said calmly as Damon looked slightly optimistic at his suggestions.

"Yeah, it could be therapy...or yoga," he nodded thoughtfully. "Her body _is_ rather flexible and extremely bendy, especially when we tried 'The Sling' one morning-"

"Woah, woah, woah! TMI, Damon! There's such a thing as Too Much Info, and I did _not_ need to imagine your wife in _any_ sexual positions, so quit over sharing! Look, just don't make a mountain out of a molehill and start tearing yourself up over nothing. She's young, she's just a teenager and she has a social life outside of you. Just be there for her, be supportive and be the kick-ass husband I know you can be. I know things are a bit confusing now between you two, but you've got almost a year to win her heart, so you go be the wonderful, sweet, lovable man you are and woo your wife! Soon, she will be putty in your hands," Ric advised enthusiastically.

At Ric's words, Damon's head whipped up in a jolt as he realised that he was late, "Shoot! I'm gonna be a _dead_ man if I don't leave now; I'm supposed to pick up Elena for her appointment with Dr. Hotness! Thanks for the advice, Ric and for being your usual corny self! Later!" he announced over his shoulder as he hurried out of his office, leaving Ric with a half-drunk bottle of whiskey. Ric contemplated whether he should get back to work or stay to finish the bottle after a morning filled with Damon-drama; he shrugged and pulled off his coat and made himself comfortable as he reached for the bottle.

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><p>Elena sat down at the reception area feeling nervous and yet excited to see her baby for the first time. This was only her second visit and the feelings when she was there with Bonnie were so different to what she felt with Damon next to her. She fidgeted and squirmed as she waited for the receptionist to call her name that she didn't realise that Damon was speaking to her.<p>

"Why are you so nervous, Elena? Elena?"

"Huh, sorry? Did you say something?" she glanced apologetically at him before she returned her gaze to the reception counter.

"I asked why you are so nervous," he spoke again, his warm hand reaching over to cover her cold ones on her lap. "Are you nervous about the baby or that Dr. Hotness won't like me being here with you?" he teased, even though that was a very real possibility in the back of his mind.

"Why won't he like you being here? You're the father after all," she looked confused for a second.

"And also your _husband_," he pointedly reminded her, his brow lifted as he studied her reaction.

"Yes, husband, no need for the reminder. I know very well who you are," she gave a sheepish grin as he made his point. She couldn't believe that he was so threatened by her doctor; and that was before he had even seen the man. Dr. Kol Michaels was not even in the same _league_ as her hunk of a husband, so she didn't really understand his insecurity.

"Oh yeah? 'Cos I sure as hell don't. For the record, we are a _happily_ married couple in public, right?" he deliberately stressed on that particular word since they didn't specify how they'd act around each other in the company of outsiders.

"Yes, I guess so, but how many married couples are genuinely happy nowadays, right? I mean, look at your parents; your mother looks very serene and elegant all the time but your father always looks like he swallowed something sour. And they've never looked _happy_, you know?" she commented thoughtfully, as if the thought just struck her.

"Yes, but we're newlyweds! We're supposed to be 'happy' and can't keep our hands off each other. We should still be on our honeymoon stage, which we've never even gone for, so it's all about being hot and bothered that we're not naked all the time," at least, _he_ fit his own description, but not her. She always seemed so cool and collected, the robot! She's pregnant, for Christ sake! She should be horny and hormonal, instead of crying over dead dogs, fictional or not!

Elena was saved from responding as the receptionist finally called out her name and indicated for them to enter Dr. Michaels' office. Damon kept his hand on hers possessively as they approached the room door and entered a bright and cheerful office.

"Elena, my favourite patient. How are you feeling?" Kol smiled down at her as he walked over to greet her by the door. And just like that, Damon _hated_ her doctor, him and his perfect teeth and boyish grin and perfect hair. He looked like he belonged on a billboard rather than poking around in pregnant ladies' vagina! Especially pregnant Elena's vagina! Damon suppressed an urge to pull Elena to stand behind him and protect her against the doctor's perfect smile with his body, at least until he could convince Elena to tattoo his name on her vagina, marking his brand onto her perfect flawless skin. Oh, the sight of his name permanently inked on her lower lips, and his tongue tracing the individual letters as she writhed and moaned under his erotic assault made him-

"I'm great! The morning sickness is completely gone and I'm happy about that!" she smiled back. _Oh great, now she's flirting back_, Damon thought as he snapped out of his daydream. How dare she smile at Dr. Hotness so sweetly as if he wasn't even in the room!

"I see you've brought your husband Damon Salvatore, not best-friend Bonnie this time. Tell Bonnie she's sorely missed," Kol remarked cheekily as he turned towards Damon with his hand extended in a friendly gesture. _He even flirts with non-pregnant ladies who tags along with their pregnant friends, the cad,_Damon thought again as he reluctantly reached out his hand to shake the Doctor's hand, making sure that he exerted a harder pressure than normal. He almost let out a happy chuckle when he saw Dr. Hotness flexed his fingers as a puzzled frown came across his model-like face. _Serve him right for flirting with my wife and her absent best friend!_

"Uhh, strong grip you have there, Mr. Salvatore. Why don't you both have a seat and I'll ask about some medical history on your side of the family, Mr. Salvatore," Kol indicated towards the two chairs directly in front of his table.

Damon nodded curtly, not bothering to ask him to use his first name like any other gentleman would; it's good that this man showed him some respect in front of his wife.

"Please call him Damon, Mr. Salvatore is such a mouthful! And we'll all be spending some time together while waiting for the baby to get here, right?" Elena suggested with a soft smile, sliding a warning look at Damon who was glaring at her as if she made some kind of social faux pas. He was thinking to himself, '_My wife, the traitor! But it's true; he _was _a mouthful!' _He gave Kol a smug smile to prove his point, unaware that both his wife and the doctor didn't realise where his thoughts had turned to.

"Umm, Damon, does your family have a history of any of these illnesses?" Kol asked as he handed the list of questionnaire Elena had already partially filled up during her last visit. For the next fifteen minutes, Damon cooperated obediently and answered all of the questions on his family's medical background. Then, under Damon's narrowed gaze and supervision, Elena had to go through another round of blood pressure check, weight, and urine screen. Much to the relief of both Elena and Damon, Kol informed them that they didn't need to have a vaginal exam since they've already covered that two weeks ago.

"Alright, now for the exciting part of your pregnancy; are you ready to see your baby for the first time?" Kol asked with a grin. This was his favourite part of being an OB/GYN; the reactions of joy from his patients as they see their baby on the screen makes the whole pregnancy a very real experience, especially when they are viewed with their partners beside them.

"Yes! I've been waiting and waiting to see the baby that I could hardly sit still today. Do I have to change into the gown?" Elena perked up excitedly as the moment she had been waiting for finally arrived.

"No, just lie down on that bed, get comfortable and slip your pants a little lower, and then lift your shirt to just below your bra-line. I'll let you get ready for a few minutes, okay?" Kol said kindly as he left them alone. _I'll bet he says that to all the girls he tried to get into bed_, Damon thought.

Damon helped Elena up on the bed and made sure she settled comfortably as he stood near her head. "Comfy?" he asked as he repositioned her pillow so that she could prop herself up to face the screen.

"Yeah, but you certainly made it awkward for Dr. Michaels! God, Damon, you couldn't have been more obvious that you felt threatened by him! You might as well have peed all over me to mark your territory," she rolled her eyes in exasperation at his insanely jealous behaviour.

"Well, I might have if I hadn't just gone to the bathroom before while waiting. Of course I felt threatened; he's Dr. Hotness! He looks more like a model than a doctor and out of the many kinds of specialist; he chose the one with the most access to pussies. See, he's hot _and_ cunning! That's a deadly combination, right there!" he insisted.

"Would it help if I told you that I'm not the least bit attracted to him? Frankly, he's not my type. I prefer guys who don't look so boyish and like they've just been weaned from their mother's milk," she flashed him a rare admiring smile as she studied his face, a rather manly face.

"Hmm, okay, then answer me this – if you had to choose three male celebrities to go on a date with, who would you pick?" he asked in curiosity.

"Gosh, I guess off the top of my head, I would go for Viggo Mortensen, Johnny Depp, and...Matthew Perry," she finished with a giggle.

"Really? Aragorn the ranger, Captain Jack Sparrows the drunk, and the gay guy from F.R.I.E.N.D.S.? I wouldn't expect that from you. What about Elijah?" he suddenly asked as a thought occurred to him to try to gauge her reaction to his name.

"What? Do _you_ know Elijah Smith? Is he even in the celebrity category?"

"Elijah Smith the reporter? I meant Elijah _Wood_, as in Frodo, the gay Halfling of the Shire," he congratulated himself on his quick thinking as Elena looked confused. "Do you _know_ Elijah Smith?"

"Yes, your mother introduced us that night at the fundraiser. He's been giving me career advice on being a journalist, and it'll help me when I'm choosing my major when I go back to college," she explained carefully, not willing to divulge too much information, or to lie outright to his face. "Who are _your_ three celebrities?" His _mother_ introduced them?

"Hmm, there are so many to choose from, but I guess, _off the top of my head_," he repeated her words with a smirk, "Kristin Kreuk, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Shiri Appleby," he listed with a cheeky grin, hoping that she'll realize that those actresses bore very close resemblances to _her_.

"They're awfully young, don't you think?" somehow the idea of Damon with some beautiful actresses disturbed her and she felt a pinch of what he must have felt when he saw Dr. Hotne- Dr. Michaels earlier. Now, she felt like peeing on _him_!

"Too young? You're like...twelve! Okay eighteen, but still!" he exclaimed. "Besides, it has nothing to do with their age; it's who they remind me of," he teased and then sobered, as he leaned in and brushed a finger gently down her jawline, tracing the edge of her heart-shaped face. Her lips parted in surprise when she realised that he was referring to her and her bewildered gaze slid from his penetrating eyes to his perfectly moulded lips, waiting as he lowered his head slowly to hers. The distance between their lips narrowed until she could feel his breath mingling with hers and her eyes slid close as she waited for his lips to touch hers, until he pulled back suddenly at the sound of a door opening.

"Alright! Are we ready to get your first glimpse at Salvatore Junior?" Kol flashed his perfect pearly whites at the motionless couple, unaware of how close he came to getting all his teeth knocked out by a frustrated Damon Salvatore. _Damn the doctor! Damn the doctor to hell!_

"Y-yes, ready when you are, Dr. Michaels," Elena took a deep breath as she mentally cursed herself for letting her guard down with Damon. She couldn't believe that she almost let him kiss her; damn her husband for being all charming and irresistible! Damn her hormones too!

"Okay, now just relax and lift your shirt up a little," Kol instructed and then proceeded to apply a conducting gel on her belly and abdomen. Elena gasped when she felt the unexpected coldness of the gel for the first time.

"Easy, Doc!" Damon warned, his brows frowned in concern as he swatted Kol's hands away from Elena's belly.

"Damon, she's fine. The gel is cold so she's reacting to that. She won't feel any pain, I promise," Kol reassured him with a comforting smile even while feeling amused at Damon's protectiveness over Elena. Who would have thought that the previous most eligible bachelor was a totally whipped husband once married?

"I'm fine, Damon. Stop over-reacting, I wanna see the baby," Elena whispered quietly, secretly pleased that he was so protective over her, even if he was being a tad too melodramatic.

"Yeah, yeah, the baby. Doc, you may proceed...cautiously," Damon nodded his head once, flashing a stern look at Dr. Flirty (hereby dubbed by Damon).

Kol hid a smile as he proceeded to move an ultrasound transducer across Elena's abdomen, and the couple's gaze were instantly riveted on the small screen where a black and white image appeared, much like static in a television screen. Kol adjusted the transducer around until a clearer image appeared; this time there was no mistaking it-in the middle of the screen was a kidney-shaped black mass and right at the bottom of that mass was a white-based wriggling tiny human, their baby.

"And _there's_ little Salvatore," Kol announced proudly, pointing to the figure on the screen, the image flickering on and off as if the baby was playing hide and seek. "Unfortunately, we can't really confirm the sex of the baby at this time. Sometimes, I can tell the gender as early as the twelfth week, and sometimes as late as the twenty-second week. It all depends on the timing and whether the baby wants to show us or not. We'll try again in another four weeks during your next check-up." As the couple looked on in amazement at the sight of their baby, he went on to describe everything they should be looking out for; the head, the arms and feet and also a little button nose.

"Right now, your baby is approximately 2.5 inches long. And look, he or she is a little active fella, waving the arms around! Let me just zoom in and capture a still photo for you, and then I'll let you two have a moment alone. Congratulations again, Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore; looks like everything is going great with your little baby. I'll be back soon," and with another smile, Kol left the room to give them a little privacy.

Damon let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding as he stared at the tiny human on the screen. He reached out his hand and held Elena's cold hands in his without looking away from the fidgeting figure. They were silent for a long moment, unable to tear their eyes away from the screen, until Damon heard a loud sniff beside him, only to turn around to find Elena trying to hold back tears as she pressed the back of her right hand against her mouth.

"Oh Elena, are you feeling emotional because we're seeing our baby for the first time?" he whispered in a gentle voice as he leaned down to press a soft kiss on her forehead. Surprisingly, she shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, letting tears escape from the sides.

"Then why? What is it?" he asked curiously. He knew pregnant women are emotional, but surely they don't just burst into tears for no apparent reason. His eyes narrowed worriedly when she started sobbing in earnest then, feeling helpless to do anything but to hold her tightly against his chest and let her get the tears out of her system. After several minutes, she was still sobbing and it didn't look like she would stop anytime soon, so he tried to distract her from whatever she was agonizing about.

"Don't cry, Elena, or our son is going to wonder if his daddy is the jerk that made his mommy cry," he teased, his fingers stroking her silky hair. "He's probably worried in there, thinking to himself that as soon as he gets out in six months, he's gonna kick his daddy's ass. Hey, look at the screen, he just moved his hands around; I could've sworn he just flashed his little tiny middle finger at me for making you upset," he smiled to himself when his wife lifted her head from his chest just a little to peer at the screen to see if Damon was telling the truth before she let out a little giggle.

"Liar," her voice was thick with emotion as she tilted her head up to meet his gaze, swollen eyes, red nosed and all. He wiped the wetness of her tears away with his thumbs as he gazed down at her and then he gave her a reassuring grin before he turned back to look at the screen again.

"That's just a matter of opinion. I know what I saw, I don't know where our son picked up that nasty little habit from, but I suspect you've been hanging around with Caroline a little bit too much recently. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for this amazing gift, and also for not being aware of contraceptives or the morning-after pill. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here right now, looking at our little boy through a screen," his own voice now also thickened as he swallowed a lump in his throat. His heart expanded with love as he looked at the baby he and Elena had created, and he felt like he finally belonged in a complete family. He vowed to be an awesome dad to his little boy, a loving and supportive one, unlike his own father who put everything else before his own family. No, Damon would rather die than have his family torn away from him, and it was at that very moment that he decided that there was nothing in this world he would rather choose than his little unplanned family.

"Daughter," Elena's soft voice pulled him out of his own thoughts. "We're having a daughter, not a son. I can feel it; our little girl is going to be gorgeous, just like her daddy."

"The most gorgeous person in this room right now is _his_ mommy, and I'm willing to bet that it's a little baby boy. You just wait and see. By the way, will you tell me why you were crying just now?" he asked.

She hesitated and looked away, as if trying to decide if she should tell him or not. "I'm going to be a terrible mother," she finally admitted. "The first time I saw our daughter on the screen, I kept thinking..." she trailed off as she struggled to say what she thought out loud.

"What? What were you thinking?" he encouraged.

"I thought our baby reminded me of E.T.! I'm sorry, I can't help it! Her head is so much bigger than the rest of her body, and I don't know why, but suddenly the image of E.T. appeared in my head and I can't help but to see the similarities. I'm a bad mother, aren't I?" she cast her eyes downwards guiltily, as if she felt ashamed of herself. To her surprise, Damon burst out laughing just as Kol re-entered the room.

"So, you both managed to spend some time with the image of your baby?" Kol asked as he looked from a laughing Damon to a sheepish-looking Elena and back again.

"Yes, we did. Hey Doc, can we borrow your phone? My wife thinks that our little alien baby wants to phone home," Damon chuckled as he clutched Elena tighter to him in a loving embrace, his mood improved drastically despite being in the presence of Dr. Flirty.

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><p>Feeling extremely happy and contented as they made their way back home in Damon's car, Elena couldn't stop smiling and kept rubbing her belly at the thought of her <em>daughter<em> growing inside her. Looking at the image of their baby together with Damon had been a surreal experience for her. At that moment, she could forget about the whole deal they had, all his complex history with Katherine and his career troubles were gone, out the window. At that moment, it felt real, like they were a family and expecting their first child to be welcomed into the world; a world that was all sunshines, and rainbows and unicorns. A world where Elena and Damon were happy and in love.

Elena summoned up some courage to ask him something for the next day. It felt fitting somehow, after the perfect day they both just had together. "Damon, this has been the most amazing day, and I think we should celebrate. How about tomorrow night, we have dinner together? I'll cook," she offered but then instantly regretted it when he flashed her a sideways glance that obviously meant that she really shouldn't even _think_ about cooking.

"I'll learn something from the cooking channel or something, but I want to cook for you, for us. Gosh, alright, I will stand-by some Chinese take-outs in case we, or rather me, spoil dinner. So, what do you say? Dinner at home?" Truthfully, it was her birthday and she wanted to spend the day she turned nineteen with him, and at home with their baby inside her belly.

"Al right, but only if you promise not to burn down the kitchen. Do we have a deal?" His blue eyes widened and took in her expression, fearing that she would walk away at any time if he didn't agree with anything she asked for. She nodded jerkily, as if her head was a little too heavy. "Deal."

They smiled at each other before they both lapsed in companionable silence, each immersed in their own thought. Elena was thinking of their third 'date' and whether she could really learn to cook a few dishes in a short amount of time and what their 'almost kiss' in Dr. Michaels' office meant for their relationship.

As for Damon, his thoughts veered from her and the baby in the doctor's office to the home-cooked meal dinner the next day with Elena. Belatedly he realized that tomorrow was Friday; the day that Elijah would be picking up Elena for lunch and doing God-knows-what with her. He allowed the feeling of insecurities to creep up on him even though Elena has made sure that she explained that she wasn't attracted to either Dr. Hotness or to Elijah Smith.

But deep down, Damon still thought that he could still lose her one day, and he was scared shitless at the thought.

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><p><strong>I hope you liked this chapter - very Delena-oriented. I'm still very tired from my trip, so I'll just post this up and see you again next chapter. <strong>

**As usual, REVIEW please. Good night!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I really appreciate those of you who reviewed the previous chapter twice by finding a previous un-reviewed chapter just to let me know what you thought of the completed version. And let's also not forget those who reviewed at all or read the story but didn't review maybe because you're shy or speechless...**

**I have decided that no vacation is worth being absent for a week without internet and my Fanfiction family so I guess you're all stuck with me until the end of this story, which I have no idea when it will be. I'll just let the story write itself until I'm bored or you're all bored or until Damon & Elena gets bored. Meaning, it may be for quite a while yet. No promises though.**

**Here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy it!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16: Birthday<strong>

Elena woke up on her bed feeling strangely energized for some inexplicable reason. Perhaps it was because she was turning nineteen, another year towards being in her twenties, or perhaps it was because she was entering her second trimester; meaning no more morning sickness and excessive tiredness all the time.

She felt better today than she'd felt ever since the beginning of her pregnancy. It was extremely comforting that she was able to 'meet' the little runt growing in her belly, especially with Damon right beside her. She felt maternal and protective even though their _daughter_ wasn't even born yet. She knew that Damon felt the same way; well, not maternal, but certainly happy to be a father.

She stretched luxuriously and sat up, wondering if Damon had already left for work. Who was she kidding – _of course_ he'd left for work. He was _always_ working. She wondered if he would always spend so much time in the office after the baby's born; part of their deal in the betrothal contract was that he'd be a hands-on dad. Granted, he had agreed to do the diaper changing throughout the night but not breast-feeding, but there's so much more to raising a child than just making sure she's fed and cleaned. Elena wondered if Salvatore Corporation had a day-care centre so that Damon could bring the baby to work with him in order that she could attend classes when she went back to college.

She sighed heavily as her thoughts turned to their impending divorce. Was there another way where she could keep her family together? Oh right, get rid of Katherine and Lockwood. How? By working with Elijah on their story, that's how. That reminded her that she was meeting Elijah at noon later today, which meant that she had four hours to shower and get changed before he arrived to pick her up.

So, Elena walked into the bathroom and brushed her teeth and her tangled hair before making her way into the kitchen to make some breakfast. For the first time in a long while, she was actually starving. In fact, she felt like she could eat anything, even pickles! _That's odd_.

As soon as she entered the kitchen, she found a note leaning against a covered plate on the kitchen island. She rolled her eyes as she started reading it:

* * *

><p><strong>Dear Elena – the mother of my SON,<strong>

**Hope you slept well. Well, I _know_ you did judging from the loud snoring coming from your room the entire night! Since you're no longer suffering from morning sickness, I took the liberty to prepare some breakfast for you, something _other_ than pasta and cheese. Freshly squeezed OJ is in the fridge. Eat up and I'll see you tonight.**

**Damon- the father of your SON.**

_p.s.: The Fire Department's general number is _**_718-999-2000_**_, or in case you're panicking, just dial 911. Not that I don't have the utmost confidence in your cooking skills, I would still prefer if you order take-out. I am rather fond of our kitchen, especially the Proposal Pantry. Just saying._

* * *

><p>She couldn't help but to smile in amusement as she finished reading his cheeky note, though extremely touched that he took the trouble to prepare breakfast for her. Setting the note down onto the counter, she approached the covered plate cautiously, inhaling the mouth-watering aroma that wafted up her nose. She smelled, bacon, ham, eggs and a buttered pastry, then she lifted up the cover and voila! She was right! <em>Wow, being pregnant gave her some kind of super smelling powers or something<em>. Though, it was a buttered croissant, to be exact. _Hmmpf, rich folks tend to eat hard-to-pronounce kind of food. _

She took out the glass of orange juice from the fridge as per Damon's instruction and sat down at the counter to enjoy her meal. Oh, the satisfaction of eating a proper meal other than pasta was a welcomed change and she had to remember to thank Damon for that. There had been a noticeable shift in their relationship recently, starting from the day of the fundraiser; it was more than just a truce between them, in fact, he was being downright easy to get along with.

If she was being honest to herself, their 'almost' kiss yesterday had felt like a natural progression of their relationship, regardless of the fact that they _were_ married and allowed to do more than kissing. But she had to remind herself that they had both agreed to a non-romantic relationship, and if they allowed themselves to act on their mutual attraction to each other, it would just complicate matters and made things awkward again. She wanted for it to work out between them, _so_ much, but circumstances hadn't changed; the real issues were still very much present. She only wished that Damon didn't make it so damn difficult to resist his charms; it was next to impossible to not fall in love with him when he's being so agreeable and thoughtful. The way that he comforted her and held her in his arms whenever she got upset over silly little things and how he was so naturally affectionate with her – damn Katherine and the whole stupid corporate espionage thing!

Her musings were interrupted with the sound of the doorbell. Puzzled, she glanced at the clock but it was too early for Elijah to be there to pick her up yet, so she had no idea who was at the door. She gulped down the rest of her juice and went to open the door.

"Happy Birthday!" shouted Jenna and Bonnie at the entrance as soon as the door was opened. Elena gasped in surprise when her aunt and best friend pulled her into their tight embrace excitedly.

"Thanks, you guys," she managed to breathe out when they finally released her. "Well, this was a pleasant surprise!"

"Yeah, we wanted to give you your presents and ask you about the ultrasound. Oh, and to find out about the sex," Bonnie grinned in reply as she passed her a nicely wrapped box.

"Err, she meant sex of the baby, not with Damon. Though I wouldn't mind hearing about _that_ if you're willing to share," Jenna piped in with a teasing smirk. "Here's my present for you and also, this came for you in the mail," she said as she handed Elena an envelope and a small gift box.

"Oh wow, I would like to say that you shouldn't have, but who am I kidding, I love presents! I'll show you the ultrasound picture while I open these. Come on in," she hurried over to her purse as Jenna and Bonnie both settled themselves on the sofa.

"Here, your very first look at the baby. Dr. Michaels wasn't able to tell if it's a boy or girl yet until perhaps the next scan, but I think it's gonna be a baby girl! Although Damon seems to think that it's a boy, but hey, it's _my_ uterus and I say it's a girl!" Elena announced in a triumphant voice as she passed the picture over to Jenna.

"Oh, I would _love_ it if it's a girl! I can take her shopping and do little manicures. I'd love to see a little Elena-clone running around in girly little dresses. That would be so cute!" Jenna exclaimed as she gazed adoringly at the black and white picture.

"I call god-mum!" Bonnie suddenly announced.

"Shoot!_ I_ wanted to be the god-mum!" Jenna grumbled, feeling cheated just because she didn't say it first.

"Why? You'd still be the great-aunt or something, right?"

"Urgh, that makes me sound all ancient and museum-worthy," Jenna looked disgusted at the thought and crossed her arms in frustration.

"You can _both_ be god-mums. The baby will be the most loved and pampered little girl ever," Elena gave a small smile as she rubbed her slightly swollen belly affectionately.

"Of course she will be. Well, aren't you gonna open your presents?" Bonnie asked eagerly as she watched her best friend beamed happily and ripped open the envelope addressed to her first.

"Hey, it's a birthday card from Jer!" Elena announced and read out loud, "_To my dearest sister, it's better to be over the hill than under it. Happy Birthday, love, your awesome and hot brother. P.s. I mailed this to our house since I didn't know the address of the old folks' home you're staying at_."

"That is so typical Jer," Jenna rolled her eyes and shook her head. "So what do you have planned today? We can have a small gathering here tonight if you want me to ask the others along," she suggested.

"Umm, I have a lunch appointment and I was thinking of cooking dinner at home for Damon and I. We are celebrating my entering the second trimester and getting over the morning sickness since he doesn't know that it's my birthday. We need to work on our friendship and getting comfortable enough with our 'arrangement' to raise our baby together," Elena explained casually. She hated that she had to keep her relationship with Elijah from the people closest to her. But it was all for Damon; she had to help him in this, she owed him that much.

"Friendship? Sweetie, the guy is crazy about you! I know for a fact that Damon acted like a nervous teenager at the thought of losing you to some Dr. Hotness or a shrink named Elijah or something. He practically flipped at the office yesterday after he saw a text message from the guy on your phone. He was insanely jealous at the thought of you dating again that it took Ric some time to finally calm him down. Ric has never seen him act so protective over a girl before, and they've known each other for some time. He wasn't even _this_ upset when he caught Katherine cheating on him in his own bed. Lena, I don't think he just wants to be friends with you," Jenna said with a hopeful expression on her face. It was obvious that she wanted things to work out between her niece and her husband, despite whatever they've agreed on.

"Yeah, Caroline said that you two are finally getting along again and that things were a lot less awkward after the whole...umm...dildo thing," Bonnie ended up whispering the last two words as if afraid her friend might get upset again.

"My God, you guys are a bunch of gossipy ladies, even Ric!" Elena rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I'm not dating, and Elijah is not my shrink - wherever _that _idea came from – he's an investigative reporter who was introduced to me by Rosalyn. He's giving me career advice on journalism since I'm going back to college after the baby's born. You guys heard of Elijah Smith? Yeah, he's the one I'm meeting for lunch later to discuss about a story he's working on and I'm helping him to gain some experience. It's all very innocent and he's just a really supportive friend who's helping me pick my major."

"Holy crap! You're having lunch with Elijah Smith? He is to you like Taylor Lautner is to _me_! No _wonder_ Damon's jealous! You have to tell Damon the truth, Elena. Or this misunderstanding is going to cause a rift between you two," Bonnie's eyes were wide with concern with a hint of admiration at the prospect of meeting a celebrity, even if he's from the news variety.

"Well, I told Damon about Elijah helping me with my career when his name came up in a random conversation yesterday. Hmm, I didn't realize at the time that he'd seen the message from Elijah. I wonder why he didn't just ask me about it at the time. Why should he think that I was dating other people when I'm technically married to him? Does he not trust me?" Elena shook her head in disbelief at the thought of her having feelings for anyone other than-

"So said the wife who refuses to put out with her husband! Do you trust Damon not to turn to other women for sex since you refused to sleep with him?" Jenna asked in an accusing tone. She watched her niece's expression turned from disbelief to horror at the thought of Damon being with other women besides Katherine. The thought that he'd be seeking for sexual relief in the arms of another didn't cross her mind at all. She was so secure with the knowledge that Damon seemed to share her dislike for Katherine and that he wasn't sleeping with _her_. But what's stopping him from having a bunch of one night stands with random women he meets in bars, or even his staff?

What's worse was that she didn't have any right to feel jealous at all, because _she_ was the one who wanted this arrangement, this stupid platonic relationship and sleeping on separate beds clause in their betrothal contract. Even though he had told her that he wouldn't cheat on her during their fight over him being sexually frustrated over pasta, how was he supposed to refrain from sex for the whole duration of their marriage? He had basically admitted that he was horny all the time since she refused him and if he thought that she was dating other people, then he might just decide to date too. Oh, this was just so messed up! Adult relationships were completely beyond her experience!

Jenna saw her niece's internal battle as she sank down to the sofa in despair and decided to take pity on her. "Lena, I'm sure Damon's not even _considering_ the option to be with anyone else, but you have to take his feelings into consideration, too. He obviously cares a lot about you, enough to be jealous when he thought you were dating someone else. But if he thinks that he's lost you for good, well, you can't blame the guy if he looks for love somewhere else. I think that you need to really think about what you want. If you care about him too, then you should let him know. If you don't, then just be prepared to lose him to someone else, if not Katherine. I don't think it'll be hard for him to get women panting after him; he is a great catch after all. Just don't risk getting your heart broken because of pride or fear of your future with him." She patted Elena's hands in a comforting gesture, hoping that she would think things through before she made any decisions she might come to regret later on.

"You're right, Jenna. I'll talk to him later tonight. I...ah...I need to start getting ready before Elijah comes to pick me up. Thanks for your presents; I'll open them later. I just-I'll be upstairs," Elena muttered distractedly as she slowly made her way up to her bedroom, leaving Jenna and Bonnie to stare at her retreating back in concern. When they can no longer see her, they turned to each other and frowned thoughtfully.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Bon?" Jenna whispered while keeping an eye out for Elena.

"I _know_ what you're thinking and I don't think it's a good idea, Jenna."

"But we _need_ to meddle! If you leave it to Elena, she's just gonna end up heartbroken and sad, sans husband. She needs him, Bon. He made her genuinely happy in that week before the wedding, and that girl is sorely lacking in that department since her parents died. I want her to have the happy-ever-after that she deserves, with Damon and their little girl," Jenna said softly.

"All right, call me a sucker for happy ending," Bonnie sighed in defeat. "What can we do to help Elena and Damon be happily married?"

"That's the spirit! Umm, I'm thinking that they need to go for their honeymoon, somewhere romantic and out of America, so that Damon won't be distracted by business and all that. Also somewhere far enough so that Caroline won't be able to pop up and interrupt their romantic moments together, like she _always_ does," Jenna rolled her eyes at the thought of their new blonde friend who held the record for the most inappropriate sense of timing ever.

"Okay, so we need to get Stefan and Ric in on this plan so that they can convince Damon to arrange a trip for Elena. It'll seem like a better idea coming from them, right? And Caroline is also great at being sneaky and organizing stuff, if she'd only keep her mouth shut long enough for the plan to work," Bonnie grinned, the wheels in her mind already turning.

"Come on, let's go talk to the gang and get cracking," Jenna said as she led Bonnie out of the house and into her car.

* * *

><p>Elena was biting her lower lip and deep in thought when the doorbell rang again, startling her. She grabbed her purse and opened the door to find Elijah standing just outside, balancing a briefcase, a laptop bag and three paper bags on his arms.<p>

"Change of plans; we're having lunch here, if you don't mind. We have a lot of work to do, and I think we'll be more comfortable if we work from your home than if we do it in public. Besides, you never know who might be listening when the subject of Lockwood and Salvatore Corp comes up. So, is it alright if I come in?" he asked.

"Of-of course, come in, Elijah," the thought of spending time alone with Elijah threw Elena off for a moment, but then he made a valid point; it was too risky to speak about such high-profiled people in public where anyone could eavesdrop on them. So, she quickly moved aside for him to enter before he could drop any of the bags on the floor, unaware of a pair of eyes watching them from across the road.

"You have a lovely home, Elena," he complimented as he looked around the foyer, then the living room on the way to the dining room table, where he gratefully unloaded the armful of bags onto the surface. "I don't know what pregnant women like to eat so I basically emptied out the entire cafe near my house, hoping that I'll at least get _something_ right."

"Anything's fine, Elijah. As of now, I'm morning sickness-free so I can eat anything I want. Thanks for bringing lunch, though," she responded, touched that he was being so thoughtful about her eating preferences. He was always such a gentleman.

"It was my pleasure. So, how does grilled chicken with mushroom sauce and kiwi salad sound for the aspiring journalist?" he enquired while holding up a disposable food container, presumably filled with what he just described.

"Sure," she replied with a smile, and they sat down together and ate while engaging in small talk. After a while, they lapsed into companionable silence during which Elena's thoughts strayed back to Damon and his assumption that she was dating. She didn't notice Elijah staring at her with a thoughtful expression as he witnessed her small frown and distraction.

"Penny for your thoughts," he said softly as her head snapped up to meet his gaze.

"Umm, I'm thinking that I want to tell Damon the truth about what we're doing. I-I don't feel comfortable hiding this whole thing from him," her arms gestured at the table and the room around them.

"By all means, go ahead," he replied without a moment of pause, surprising her yet again with his cavalier attitude. "I bet though that he would have noticed the dining set in the dining room prior to this occasion, but if you feel that you have to remind him of that fact then please, go ahead. As for your reference to 'what we're doing', I assume you meant having lunch."

Elena's head cocked sideways in confusion at first and then she burst into a loud giggle when she realised what he meant. "Elijah!" she scolded, "Clearly, I meant telling the truth about our investigation on Pierce and Lockwood. He's beginning to suspect something's up, and he's thinking that I'm dating you or Dr. Hotness, so I don't want any further misunderstandings to complicate things further."

Elijah sighed, "Elena, I _told_ you, as an investigative reporter, you have to keep personal feelings separate at all times. You trust no one, and that means your spouse too."

"Then maybe I don't have what it takes to be an investigative reporter! I understand where you're coming from, I do, but I can't carry on with this duplicity with my own husband. I trust him, Elijah, and I know deep within my heart that he's innocent of whatever crime Katherine and Mason Lockwood are involved in. The other night, I told him our plan about flushing out the mole to confirm if it was in fact Katherine, and he agreed! If he had something to hide, then he wouldn't have agreed to let me help, right? Okay, maybe he expected me to only help by contributing ideas and not get involved so much, but I want him to know of your involvement in this case, too. Honestly, I hate lying to him about spending time with you, even if we both know that our friendship is strictly based on a professional level, but please also consider his point of view; if he knows how much time we spend together, which I suspect will be a lot until this case is over, then he would think that I was cheating on him with you, and I can't have that. This is a deal-breaker for me, Elijah. Either Damon knows one hundred percent about what we're doing, or I pull myself out of this investigation totally. I'll figure out another way to help Damon on my own. Don't get me wrong, I really love the opportunity to work with you, but I really draw the line at it becoming a negative factor in my marriage. So, to tell Damon or not to tell Damon, that is the question," she laid her ultimatum in a completely candid manner, hoping that her journalist hero would understand her situation and agree.

He studied her for a moment, and she could tell that he was weighing the pros and cons in his head, but other than that, his face was an expressionless mask. He must be one hell of a poker player!

After a few more moments of consideration, he finally spoke, "I guess I cannot argue with your logic, so I agree. I must admit that I haven't considered your role as a wife as opposed to a completely unattached journalist who doesn't owe any explanation to anybody. But I trust your judgement on this matter, so if you think that Damon Salvatore is innocent, then we'll just assume he is. I am glad that you managed to convince him to take some actions to flush out the mole, though. The sooner that happens, the better. I've also been busy trying to figure out a way to gain some intel from within the Lockwood Industries, and I believe I've found our 'whistleblower'. It's Mason's newly joined nephew, Tyler Lockwood. If you can somehow get closer to him and gain his trust, he may be able to tell us something about the projects they are working on. If those are the same projects that Salvatore Corp's been working on, then I believe we have a solid lead to our case."

"Tyler Lockwood. But how do we get close to him without raising suspicion? You don't expect me to flirt with him do you? It'll take months to get to know someone well enough to ask about personal career stuff, and I'll be hugely pregnant by then. That's hardly attractive, let alone the fact that I'm married! I doubt Damon will allow me to 'pretend date' another guy just for investigation's sake," Elena said.

"No, you won't be the bait, of course! It so happens that Rosalyn's god-daughter, a Miss Caroline Forbes is already acquainted with Tyler Lockwood. They went to the same private school. If we recruit her, we'll be saving a lot of time trying to build a relationship when they already know each other. Caroline's the only resource we have right now to gain valuable information from inside the Lockwood Industries itself. Trust me on this, Elena. Will you talk to her and see if she would help?"

"Oh I think she'll help alright, it's just a matter of getting her to keep everything on the hush hush that's the problem. With her, you never know when she'll spill the beans to the opposition because she can't keep her mouth shut. She's not doing it on purpose, but that girl just talks too much!" Elena muttered while glancing at the clock. It was close to two now, and she only had five more hours to prepare an edible dinner without ruining or burning down the kitchen, as Damon faithlessly reminded her in the note that morning.

"That's the only lead we have right now, so I say we go for it. But warn her that she might go to jail if she so much as let out a single word about our plan to Tyler. By the way, why do you keep glancing at the clock? Are you rushing for time? If so, I can go and leave you to whatever you have planned," he offered, getting ready to wash up and go.

"N-no, I just promised to learn how to cook and prepare a dinner with Damon tonight without destroying the entire kitchen. It's sort of my birthday today, so I am attempting to cook a full meal for two when the only thing that I can cook successfully is buttered toast. Come to think of it, I don't even know if we have ingredients for anything in the house," she shrugged helplessly as she realised that she might have to order take-out again.

"Well then, at the risk of incurring your husband's wrath or jealousy at having another man in the house, I can offer you my services as a chef for the afternoon. _I _happen to be a proficient cook, having prepared gourmet dinners for large parties on occasion. I'll be happy to help if you'll allow it," he flashed his usual charming smile at Elena who grinned back in relief.

"Sure, I would love your help! But be warned, this protégé of yours is much better at writing than cooking. Let's just say that I managed to screw up boiling water from a kettle at one point in my life, so please don't expect me to be much help in the kitchen," she warned.

"I shall have no expectations at all from you in the kitchen, though I'm curious as to why you decided to even attempt to cook at all since your previous efforts had been so dismal. Are you trying to prove a point or did you lose a bet?" his charming smile widened further as he imagined her trying to boil forks and spoons in the pan. He started to shrug out of his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

"Neither, actually. I guess I just thought that it was time I learnt to cook since I'll be a mother soon. It's probably just my maternal instincts kicking in," she explained as she led him to the kitchen, not knowing where to start.

"That's a good enough reason for me. All right, show me whatever ingredients you have and then we'll figure out what we can make from there," he instructed, immediately getting into the role of a chef.

"Well, those two large silver coloured doors right there, those are called fridges, right?" she asked innocently, and then promptly burst out laughing at his incredulous reaction. "Kidding! Man, your face! Hmm, let's see what we have here," she was still chuckling as she opened the fridge and peered inside. "We have potatoes, some cheese, butter, eggs, frozen slices of lamb shoulder, frozen chicken thighs, assorted vegetables, strawberry-flavoured ice cream, lettuce, strawberries, capsicums, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, flour, carrots, and some pickles. Hey pickles! I have insane pickle-cravings right now, for some reason. Oh hey, there's more stuff in the Proposal Pantry, so you can go ahead and look in there. "

"Umm, Proposal Pantry?" Elijah looked uncertain as he repeated the name.

"Uhh yeah, don't ask, it's a long story. Just open the door towards you right at that corner," Elena indicated to the semi-hidden door where Damon officially proposed to her the night she first moved in. The memory brought back a lot of joyful feelings to her, so she was smiling to herself as Elijah inspected the ingredients found in there.

"I'm simply dying of curiosity to know why you called it the Proposal Pantry. You must tell me the story one of these days. Okay, I'm thinking we can make some kind of salad for the appetiser and then mashed potatoes with mixed Italian herbs and lamb chop marinated with teriyaki sauce with sliced mushrooms as the entrée. As for dessert, I suggest that we keep it simple by serving strawberry ice cream with fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate topping."

Elena looked at him in wide-eyed amazement as she thought about how complicated everything sounded. She liked the idea of the instant dessert of ice cream, but the rest sounded like a job meant for a fully-staffed kitchen.

"Are you kidding? I'm a newbie, and that means that I didn't understand a word you just said, but it sounded like a whole lotta work just for a meal. Maybe I should just call a pizza or something," she looked at him worriedly before inching her way to the wall phone on the kitchen wall.

"No way, you wanted to learn, we are going to learn. Besides, it's all quite easy really; I'll guide you through it step-by-step. It'll take two hours tops to get it all done. And we'll start with defrosting the frozen items required for our recipe," Elijah appeared to be confident, so she just shrugged her shoulders and allowed him to take charge.

He showed her how to dice the capsicums, tomatoes and carrots while they boiled the potatoes to be mashed. She took an hour just to dice everything up and so he took over to slice the button mushrooms with a roll of his eyes. She also managed to accidently squirted tomato juice onto his shirt as she was cutting up the ripe and juicy fruit, earning her a mock glare from the chef. After the salad was done, he showed her how to manually mash the potatoes up with the skin intact with a fork and spoon until her arms felt like they no longer belonged to her. She was sweating and tired by the time he came over to inspect the potatoes' texture and she groaned out loud when he told her that it needed to be three times finer than what she had.

He seemed to be on the verge of chuckling at her the whole time they were in the kitchen, and she wondered if he purposely made her do everything the hard way as payback for wanting to tell Damon the truth about Elijah's role in the investigation. But she was still grateful for his help to prepare a nice dinner for her and Damon that she gritted her teeth and obediently continued mashing the damn potatoes until she felt her arms were about to break from her shoulders in mutiny and ran away from home.

"All right, that's enough mashing, just mix this butter in and shake some herbs in there and just stir until the butter is mixed well with the potatoes," he instructed as he took the defrosted lamb shoulders from the microwave.

It took both of them three and a half hours to finally finish cooking the entire dinner and complete the cleaning up. As soon as the lamb was done, Elena sank down onto a bar stool at the kitchen island and collapsed onto the counter top.

"Pregnant women shouldn't be on their feet for so many hours without a good enough reason. And cooking a dinner for two is not a good enough reason," she mumbled exhaustedly as her eyes drifted close.

"Well, at least we managed to complete what we set out to do and that's for you to learn how to cook. Granted, we may have taken longer than we expected, but we learnt a valuable lesson today; Elena Gilbert can cook a decent meal although she should not be allowed to hold a knife on one hand and a ripe tomato on the other. Also, you need aprons in your kitchen for the next time," he teased as he also sank down on another bar stool.

"Next time? There won't _be_ a next time, mister! I promise I'll have _every_ single restaurant in the area on speed dial. But, I do agree that we learnt a lot today. I learnt that tomatoes are in fact extremely juicy _and_ they have a tendency to squirt out at unsuspecting subjects, and _you've_ learnt to never set foot on my kitchen ever again. But thank you all the same for helping me. I owe you a shirt, though," she opened an eye and peeked out at him through her dishevelled hair to survey his stained shirt.

"Oh, don't worry about it! Do you have a spare shirt that you can lend me and also a place where I can wash up?"

"Yeah, you can wear one of Damon's and use the second room's bathroom. Come on, I'll show you," she reluctantly got up from the stool and stretched, feeling how sore her arm muscles were. _Note to self: Thou shall not mash potatoes ever again. Instead, opt for hassle-free baked potatoes or wedges instead._

Unaware that they were being watched from the window, she led him upstairs into Damon's room and hoped that Elijah wouldn't question why his clothes were in a separate room from the master bedroom. She looked through Damon's closet and found a new unworn shirt with the tag still attached that she clipped off and passed to Elijah. She left him on his own as she went to wait downstairs, happy that the kitchen was still standing and not at all in danger of being burned down. _Take that, Damon Salvatore_!

Ten minutes later, Elijah re-emerged into the living room in Damon's new shirt and freshly combed wet hair and grabbed his jacket, briefcase and laptop bag from the dining chair.

"Well, it's been a splendid afternoon, Elena. Contrary to how you felt, I thoroughly enjoyed myself trying not to laugh at you and your kitchen antics. Cooking has _never_ been more fun and stressful at the same time! I'll take my leave now so that you can get ready for your romantic evening in. Happy Birthday, Elena. I owe you a present for your birthday now," he grinned as he walked towards the main doors.

"Oh please, don't do that. You've done enough for me today. Consider the cooking lessons my present, deal? And thanks again, really," she said sincerely as she walked him out.

"You're welcome. Farewell, Elena. Just let me know as soon as you've talked to Caroline Forbes about Tyler." And with that, he turned towards his car and drove away, leaving Elena to stare after him in apprehensive silence as she thought about how awkward it would be to involve Caroline in the investigation. She might have to go out with Tyler Lockwood a few times; how would Stefan take it? Man, she really didn't like all this secrecy stuff. With a sigh, she turned back to enter the house and closed the door behind her and started upstairs to get ready for her dinner with Damon.

The man who was observing her silently left the compound and entered his own car parked opposite the house and stowed his camera away as he drove towards the commercial area of the city.

* * *

><p>An hour later, Damon found himself furious beyond words as he looked at the photographic evidences presented to him by the man sitting in front of his office desk. That man, known only as Mr. West, sat there with a smug look on his face. He looked awfully pleased with himself for successfully doing what he was paid to do; which was to collect evidences to prove that his wife was indeed dating another man, and sure enough, the pictures told a thousand words.<p>

"Tell me again, in detail, what happened when that man arrived at my house?" Damon asked.

"The man arrived at noon, and he was carrying a lot of things on his arm as he rang the doorbell. Mrs. Salvatore answered the door and after speaking for a few moments, she held the door open wider and let him in. That's the picture of them standing at the door right there," he pointed to the first photo on Damon's computer screen. Damon nodded stiffly, indicating for him to continue.

"Then they went into the dining room and the guy took out food containers and laid them out on the table before he passed her one of it. They sat down to eat but they barely spoke to each other at first. Then, I could see that they had a rather intense conversation from their expressions, as you can from the pictures right there," he indicated to another row of pictures on screen.

"So, they just talked and had lunch, no touching at all?" Damon enquired as he frowned at the screen.

"Nope, no touching at all. By that time, it was about two p.m. and then suddenly they stood up and he was taking off his jacket and they were walking towards the kitchen. They were standing around talking again and then she walked to the fridge and opened the doors and stood there for quite a while. Then he went into a small back room right at the corner of the kitchen and disappeared into it for a while. Then, they just started cooking! He was mostly showing her what to do, as if he was teaching her. The pictures from numbers thirty two to fifty seven show the entire cooking process which took about three and a half hours, including the cleaning up. Then, she sat down on the bar stool and leaned her head down on the counter as if she was tired, and he also sat down shortly after. There was hardly any inappropriate touching throughout the whole time until they both went upstairs for about ten minutes. I couldn't see what they did up there, but she came downstairs first and waited in the living room, before he came downstairs in another ten minutes with a different shirt on. It looked like he just freshened up and then after talking for another minute or so, he collected his bags and jacket and left through the main door. She accompanied him out the door, and they spoke again and then he just turned and got into his car and drove off She stood there staring at the car for a few moments with a concerned expression on her face and then she went back inside the house. The only thing I couldn't account for was the ten minutes plus they were upstairs alone," Mr. West finished relaying his report and gratefully sipped his vodka offered by the stony man in front of him.

Damon looked at the pictures on the screen for the fourth round but he didn't know what he was more furious at; the fact that his investigator did not catch more damning evidence or that he had no way of knowing what happened during the ten minutes Elena and the reporter was upstairs alone. Sighing in defeat, he made a cheque out to Mr. West's company and signed it before he passed the cheque over to him.

"Here, the amount as agreed. I would like to keep these pictures and I would like to remind you that you've signed an agreement to never again speak of today's activity to anyone, you hear me?" Damon warned. He couldn't afford for this kind of gossip to leak out to the public as it would hurt the company and his and Elena's reputation.

"Yes, I understand perfectly, Mr Salvatore. Much obliged," the man nodded his head and walked out of Damon's office.

It was time for Damon to leave too if he wanted to reach home in time for dinner. He had a half an hour to go before seven p.m. but he couldn't wrap his head around what happened at his house that afternoon. There wasn't a single damning evidence against Elena; not in the photos and not in the man's detailed report. They weren't even being affectionate or touchy-feely with each other. But he had to admit that it was suspicious how the reporter came back downstairs with another shirt when he didn't appear to have brought anything with him when he walked up the stairs. That could just mean one thing; Elena had some of his clothes in her room. Meaning, they've done this before. At his own house, just like Katherine did. But it didn't make any sense; ten minutes was too short a time for any hanky-panky to happen between them and there weren't any inappropriate conduct the whole time they were downstairs. Granted it was weird that they spent most of their time in the dining room and then the kitchen.

Wait a minute; Elena said that she'd cook dinner for them tonight. Was that what they were doing? Elena and her _date_ were preparing dinner so that she and her husband could eat it later on? Was it poisoned? Several possibilities flashed across his brain and a feeling of disgust swelled up inside him at the thought of going home to eat the food prepared and cooked by another man and his own wife. No, he couldn't bring himself to go home now and look at Elena. He didn't have any idea what the hell she was doing with that reporter, but it didn't seem as innocent as it appeared in the pictures on the screen. He needed a drink...preferably a whole bottle of it. It was now 6.50p.m. He left a text message for Ric to join him at their regular bar just opposite his office building. Then he left his office and headed for a few hours of mindless drinking.

* * *

><p>Ric called Damon several times over the next few hours to no avail until he finished dinner with Jenna and dropped her off. Worried about his friend who seemed to be on an emotional yoyo ever since Elena came into his life, he made his way to the bar he frequented with Damon and strolled in at precisely 9.50p.m., three whole hours after Damon texted him.<p>

He quickly spotted Damon at the bar seated in between two ladies who was flirting with him. Ric groaned to himself when he came close enough to see Damon's red face and two bottles of the finest bourbon in the bar. One bottle was completely empty and the other was rapidly emptying as well at the rate he was drinking it. To Ric's relief, Damon didn't seem to notice the two ladies who were vying for his attention; otherwise, he didn't know how the hell he could have explained to Elena that her husband was picking up strange women in a bar on her birthday.

"Excuse me, ladies, but my friend here is happily married. I suggest you leave him alone to wallow in his err...happiness," he tried to be as polite as possible but the two women flashed him dirty looks, as if his mere presence had spoilt the ambience around them.

"Leave him alone, he doesn't need a friend to come and save him. So what if he's married? The best ones _are_, honey. Now, buzz off! You're killing our mood here," the lady on the right said, as she laid her left hand on Damon's thigh.

"Woah, hands off, you old cow. No touchy allowed. My wife and unborn sh-on (son) will hai-ya your saggy ass if you don't watch it. Ma buddy Ricky-poo here will bring her here and make sh-ure (sure) of it. She's a feisty one, my wife. She cooks reporters and everything!" Damon slurred heavily as he swayed and fought for balance on the stool.

"Urggh, _whatever_, jack-ass! Come on Ria, let's get out of this dump," the lady rolled her eyes and pulled her friend away.

"Nice to see you're still able to fend off the ladies even though you're drunk off your ass right now. Why are you sitting here drowning yourself in bourbon when your wife is sitting at home waiting for you?" Ric asked as he sat down beside his friend who seemed determined to finish the half-drunk bottle in front of him. He snatched the bottle away from Damon and poured himself a glass before setting the bottle down out of Damon's reach.

"'Lena cooked today," Damon said by way of explanation, his eyes already half closing as he rested his throbbing head on Ric's shoulders.

"Wow, she must be a _really_ lousy cook if you'd prefer to sit here alone drinking half your weight of alcohol just to avoid going home to have dinner with your wife," Ric said, patting Damon's head with his right hand.

"Not lousy! I'd eat corn starch if she served it, but she cooked with 'nother man. Mr. Reporter and 'Lena on a date cooking in my chicken," Damon muttered, not caring if his sentences made any sense or not.

"What? Who's Mr. Reporter? What date? Why are they cooking in your chicken?" Ric asked, confused beyond words.

"Many many questions. Sho many answers. Have photos of them cooking togezzer in my own chicken. Kitchen! Cook for me! Yucks!" Damon gave an involuntary shiver as he imagined himself eating the food prepared by the dating couple that was his wife and her handsome reporter boyfriend.

"Okay, I can't help you if I can't understand a word you're saying. Trying to figure out what you just said is like I'm trying to decipher Da Vinci's code or something. Okay, we're gonna have to sober you up, and fast or Elena's gonna kill you for missing her birthday. Come on, buddy," Ric stood up and pulled the drunk Damon towards the restroom.

"Hey, where are we going? Are you trying to have your wicked way with me? 'Lena's gonna hai-ya _your_ ass!"

"Yeah, yeah, the girl who weighs less than a hundred pounds is gonna hai-ya everyone's ass, _including_ yours if you don't get home now," Ric pushed Damon into the surprisingly empty restroom and leaned him against a wall for support as he turned on a tap and proceeded to splash some water onto Damon's flushed face, making his friend gasp in shock.

"Hey, hey! Is it raining in here? I don't have an umbella. Umballa. Umblela. Umbrrrrella. Ric, try to say umbella," Damon started laughing at himself as he shook his head to force the water out of his hair.

"It's U-M-B-R-E-L-L-A, you moron. Looks like we need a more drastic approach," Ric sighed as he pushed the pop-up waste down and filled the sink up with cold water. "I'm so sorry, my friend, and if it makes you feel any better, I love ya and I'm not enjoying this _one_ bit," Ric plunged Damon's head into the freezing cold water.

Damon struggled violently until Ric let go of his neck and he managed to lift his head up from the sink, his system still numb with shock at the unexpected cold temperature of the water. "You-dick-why-did-you-do-that-I-could-have-drowned," he spluttered as he coughed up water.

"I _had_ to, and I must admit, that _was_ kinda fun. Oh come on, I had to get you to get sober enough so that you could tell me what the hell is wrong with you, so that I can fix it, and send you on your merry way home to your wife. She's been worried sick, calling and looking for you. Did she call you?" Ric asked as he slapped his hands on Damon to look for his phone. He found it in his jacket pocket and pulled it out before Damon could stop him.

"Six missed calls from Elena and four from me. Dude, you need to answer your calls next time. Do you have any idea what you've done to Elena?" Ric crossed his arms and looked disapprovingly at him.

"Do _you_ have any idea what Elena has done to _me_? I hired an investigator to follow her for her 'lunch appointment' with Elijah today. Remember Elijah? We thought he was her therapist or yoga instructor? Turns out he was a reporter, supposedly introduced by my mother to give her some career advice on journalism! But get this, said Mr. Reporter turned up at my house today with lunch and spent like 5 and a half hours with Elena! Does that sound like career advice to you?" Damon burst out angrily as his previous emotions came flooding back the minute his alcohol level reduced.

"What? What were they doing?"

"They were having lunch on my dining table, and then they were cooking in my kitchen! Then they went upstairs for ten minutes, and then Elena came downstairs to wait for him, and he came down again in another ten minutes with a different shirt on. What do you think about that?" his voiced raised louder again as he felt the anger surfacing again.

"That's it? They ate a meal and cooked? Damon, you really are a drama queen sometimes. Did your investigator get any evidence of anything that suggested that she was cheating on you?" Ric asked in exasperation.

"Well, no, in fact he said they didn't touch at all while they were downstairs. But what happened when they were upstairs for ten minutes? No one knows, see?"

"Ten minutes? You think they could have an affair in ten minutes? Did the thought that he could have wanted to freshen up and changed his shirt because oh, I don't know, he could have stained his previous shirt while cooking ever crossed your mind? Trust me, Damon, if they wanted to have an affair, they wouldn't have spent ten minutes doing the dirty and five and a half hours in plain view doing something as mundane as eating lunch and cooking for her birthday dinner with you!" Ric retorted in frustration at his friend's willingness to expect the very worse from his wife.

"Birthday? What birthday?" Damon suddenly asked, his mind suddenly alert after Ric's outburst.

"Today is Elena's birthday. Jenna told me during dinner that she wanted to have a quiet dinner at home with you, so she offered to cook. Mr. Reporter must have offered to help her cook since Jenna told me she even managed to screw up boiling water one time. And here you are, being your silly melodramatic self, again single-handedly twisted everything in that head of yours and ruin her first birthday celebration with you. I think you need therapy, man," Ric shook his head again.

"Shit! I've royally fucked up again, didn't I? Can you give me a ride home? I'm too buzzed to drive now," Damon panicked as he slapped his own face to sober up quickly.

"Fine, stop abusing yourself and let's go. My car's still parked at the office. Come on, you'll need the fresh air and walk anyway," Ric pulled him along with him again as they left the restroom and made their way back to the bar to pay for the drinks. Damon walked out into the night first as Ric tossed the last mouthful of bourbon into his mouth and then followed after Damon. As soon as Ric stepped outside, two burly men held him back while another more slender man approached Damon with a baseball bat in his hands. Damon's brows furrowed in confusion as he squinted to look harder at the approaching man whose face were covered in shadows. Damon suddenly let out a gasp of recognition as the street light helped to shine sufficient light onto the face he had never expected to see again.

"Well hello, son-in-law. Didn't I tell you that I'd see you again? I said that I'd be back, didn't I? I said that this game between us wasn't over and that I'd be back to repay your 'kindness' you showed me on your wedding day. Well, here I am. You missed me? Cos I sure as hell missed you," and with that the man swung his bat and it collided with Damon's head, sending him sprawling to the ground in an unceremonious heap.

"Damon!" Ric screamed out in horror. "Let go of me! Hey, you! Stop that, stop hitting him, he's down! You're gonna kill him!"

Damon was bleeding all over and the hard blow to his head rendered him completely unaware of his surroundings, except that he was curled up in a ball on the sidewalk and his body jerked repeatedly from the vicious kicks the man inflicted on him. He barely registered any pain except for the one on his head, and his vision clouded over as his eyelids started to close.

The last thought that crossed his mind at that moment was the nineteen year old girl at home, worried sick about his disappearance from dinner tonight. He should've gone home after work today instead of letting his insane jealousy control him. It was too late now.

"Elena," he mumbled to himself, as he lost consciousness and blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>A much longer chapter this time. Hope you liked it and that it made up for my being absent for a whole week recently.<strong>

**As usual, READ AND REVIEW please. Appreciate it!**

**p.s. BOO! Elena chose Stefan, AGAIN! I think her head chose Stefan but her heart chose Damon. And stupid Elena followed her head. Glad she's a vampire!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hmm...I seem to be missing a few of my regular reviewers. Hope I didn't piss anyone off for disappearing for a week. **

**But, thanks to those who did leave your reviews anyway. It's always great to hear some feedback from you, no matter WHAT you say...violent threats and all *grin***

**I know most of you are anxious for Damon & Elena to get together again, but all good things comes to those who wait...and wait...and wait some more. Then, you wait some more. *evil laughter***

**Sigh. I think I'm abusing my power over the story just a tiny bit. **

**Proceed with caution!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: Sweet Surrender (gasp!)<strong>

He was an hour late.

He was late and he didn't call. Not once. Not even a text message to say that he wasn't able to make it.

Worried and frustrated, Elena hit the redial button on the phone and waited for him to pick up. It rang and rang and then went to voicemail. She hung up and threw her phone onto the dining table loudly. Maybe Jenna was right; he had given up on her. He was probably in a sexy and experienced woman's apartment somewhere, wrapped in her arms. Or maybe he had a last-minute meeting with an important client who came all the way from Korea or Japan or China or...

She was driving herself crazy with all the maybes. Perhaps it was just as well. She had to get used to him not being around anyway. That's where her future was headed anyway; she and her baby girl at home, on their own. It was all her fault anyway; _she_ pushed him away. Her and her irrational fear of being abandoned and unloved.

Memories of their conversation on their wedding night resurfaced, and her heart gave a little wrench of pain as she thought of her stubbornness. She never even gave him a chance to fight for her and their baby. She just made the decision that he wasn't worth her time and her effort to fall in love with him, all because he couldn't choose between his love for his career and for her. But they barely knew each other well enough _then_ to fall in love, was it fair to expect him to just ignore the years he put into his career over her? She had no answers.

She turned to look at the food she and Elijah had prepared earlier that afternoon and how excited she was to have a quiet evening at home with Damon and just...talk. She wanted to tell him the truth about Elijah and maybe even figuring out where their relationship was heading to. Whether they wanted to see if there was a chance in the future if not now, or whether they were allowed to have a romantic life outside of their 'sham of a marriage'. But now, here she sat, in the dining room after her first attempt at cooking, Damon-less. But still, she sat there, unmoving, her eyes fixed on the clock, hoping that he'd still show up, extremely late with a good reason.

Time passed too slowly for her liking, and she found herself dozing off with her head on her left arm on the dining table. She sat up and looked around, but the house was as quiet as a mouse. Or a grave. She glanced up at the clock again and to her surprise, it was already ten p.m. There was no reason for him to be three hours late without a call or a text. Perhaps he wasn't even coming home.

Dejectedly, she got up and cleared the food on the table, her appetite completely disappeared. She scraped the lamb chop, the mashed potatoes and salad off into a dustbin and placed all the dirty plates into the dishwasher. She pressed the button and let the machine do its job. She switched off all the lights downstairs and stood in the darkness for a while before heading up to her room.

Once there, she spotted Bonnie and Jenna's unopened presents on the bedside table and so she sat down on her bed and opened Jenna's first. It was the Fifty Shades' trilogy set by EL James. How fitting that Jenna would give her books on an emotionally crippled tycoon who fell in love with a virgin. Well, at least the book had some really good sex scenes, even if they were mainly BDSM scenes. Oh well, she got to live vicariously through a character of a book then.

She opened Bonnie's present next; and to her delight it was a set of bath products – bath oils, bath salts, bubble baths, candles and fragrances. Trust Bonnie to hit the nail right on the head with her gift! After the day she had, a relaxing warm bubble bath sounded about right.

So, she headed to the bathroom with her gift, filling the tub with warm water as she removed her clothes and placed them in the laundry basket. She gathered her long hair up at the crown in a bun with a hair clasp and then proceeded to pour some bubble bath, oils and salts into the now-filled tub. As she stepped into the tub, she flinched slightly at the first contact of the warm water. Then she sank down, leaned back and relaxed with the smell of the aromatic lavender around her. Sighing gratefully, she closed her eyes and concentrated on not thinking about a certain blue-eyed man.

* * *

><p>"Damon! Wake up, man! Can you hear me?" Ric struggled against the men who were holding him back firmly as he shouted at the still figure three feet from him. "What the <em>hell<em> is your problem? He's married to your daughter, for God's sake! People don't go around beating up their sons-in law for no reason!" Ric was glaring angrily at the smirking man who was standing next to his friend who was passed out on the floor.

"No reason? My _son-in-law_ had punched me twice now, once at his house when I dragged Elena there, and another on their wedding day! He threw me out of my own daughter's wedding ceremony _and_ he knocked up my teenage daughter! So I had _plenty_ of reasons to beat him into a pulp," John bit out in contempt as he squat down beside Damon. "Geez, what a lightweight!" he scoffed as he reached behind him for a bottle of water and emptied it on Damon who woke up spluttering and coughing.

"Ohhh, what's – _cough_ - with all the – _cough_ - drowning attempts – _cough_ – today?" Damon groaned as he rolled around on the sidewalk to avoid the water. The side of his head was throbbing like mad and everything hurts like hell, too.

"So is my slut of a daughter worth the pain you're in right now? I gather you're tired of her already since you're out in a bar on the night of her birthday, huh? What's the matter? She kicked you out?" John asked with a smirk.

"She's not a slut!" Damon breathed out, wincing from the pain he was experiencing as he tried to sit up. "Why do you hate your own daughter? What did she do to make you so vile?"

"She killed the love of my life, that's why! Exactly nineteen years ago today, she was born and I lost the _only_ woman I've ever loved! Isobel was a slut and she slept around with most of the guys on the football team, but I loved her and she was pregnant with _my_ child. I was going to marry her," John's eyes glinted with unshed tears as he whispered the last sentence.

"Elena's mother died during childbirth?" Damon wondered as he pieced the details together.

"She lost too much blood, and she developed a complication as she gave birth to the baby. I waited right outside, and I heard the baby crying and I was thinking that I'd propose to Isobel and have a real family as soon as I found a job. Then the doctor walked out and told me that the baby survived but she...didn't. I didn't get to say goodbye. I wasn't even allowed to see her! The doctor asked if I wanted to see my baby, but what's the point? Why should the baby live while the mother died? How is that fair?" John whispered brokenly, his eyes in a faraway gaze as he relived the excruciating moment again.

"So you gave her up for adoption to your own brother?" Damon guessed, his head spinning from John's revelation.

"I couldn't look at her, hell, I never even held her! Not once. My brother and his wife had been trying to have a baby for some time but they couldn't conceive, so they adopted her and raised her as their own. Two years later, Jeremy was born. But still, they wouldn't send her away. So I moved away from my own family because I couldn't bear to look at her face! She looked too much like Isobel, I couldn't stand it! The constant reminder of what I lost was too much. But then, a few months ago, my brother and his wife were killed in a car accident. Elena survived again, but they didn't and I lost the only remaining family member I had left," John's face was tortured as if he was in physical pain.

"What? Elena was in the car with them?" Damon gasped. He didn't know that; he just assumed that her parents were on their own when it happened. Oh God, what she went through was completely horrifying! To be the sole survivor after watching her parents die in front of her; no wonder she was so closed off.

"She was at a party and her friends ditched her so she called them to pick her up. On the way back, their car skidded, crashed and wrapped itself around a tree. Her mother died instantly but my brother was still alive when people started to help to pull them out of the wreckage. My brother insisted to get Elena out first and by the time they dragged her out and went back for him, he was no longer breathing. He could've been saved! My brother could have survived but instead, _she_ did. I lost everyone I loved because of her. She should have been the one to die instead of Isobel. Otherwise, my brother and his wife would still be alive. It was _all_ her! Don't you see? People around her, they die or suffer. Ever since she was born, all my business ventures failed, one after another, until I was almost declared bankrupt. Death and destruction follows her, and if you're smart, you'd get out too before you suffer the same fate. She's not worth it," John shook his head as he warned Damon.

"She's your daughter! Your own flesh and blood! She's innocent, and it wasn't her fault that you've lost your family and Isobel. She lost them too, and she needed you as a father, but you turned her away! Don't you get it? _She's_ your family, the only one you have left! And soon, you'll have a grandchild too! Sure, you still have Jeremy as your nephew but she's your _daughter_. No matter what happened, you're related by blood, and nothing is going to change that fact," Damon reminded.

"You can call it whatever you want, she means nothing to me. The fact that I remembered her birthday at all is because it's Isobel's death anniversary. You don't know what you're in for but it's your choice. My job here is done, I got my revenge. If you insist on protecting her, well, it's _your_ funeral. One day when you've lost everything, you'll remember what I said today. Let him go, guys, we're done here," John stood up and walked to his car, followed by the burly men who was holding Ric back.

Damon and Ric watched the car speed off into the distance and then Ric quickly crouched down beside Damon worriedly. "Damon? Are you alright? Is anything broken? Are you in pain?"

"Only when I breathe, Ric," Damon groaned out as he tried to get to his feet, helped and supported by Ric. "Ow, ow, ow, gently!" he winced again as Ric's hands wrapped around his midriff to hold him upright.

"Sorry! Look, we need to get you to the hospital now and get some x-rays done. You have bruises everywhere and your ribs might also be broken. Your head where his bat hit you also doesn't look so good. You might have a concussion or something," Ric commented in concern. But surprise, surprise, Damon was having none of that_, the stupid fool_.

"No, I can still make it back before midnight. I have to spend Elena's birthday with her. It doesn't hurt as bad anymore, honest! Can you help me get home?" he insisted stubbornly.

"Are you nuts? Damon, you might have internal bleeding! You have to see a doctor now!" Ric yelled in frustration. Seriously, sometimes he wondered how his friend managed to become the Executive Director of a company as big as Salvatore Corp when he doesn't even have any common sense!

"I'm fine! I might have a few broken bones, but those will mend itself in time. I just wanna see Elena right now. Didn't you hear what John said? She has been through so much! She needs me now more than ever. Please don't nag, Ric. Just get me a bottle of the strongest liquor possible so that I can numb the pain enough to make the car trip back. Please, Ric," Damon pled with his friend who was looking at him as if he had sprouted antennas on his head.

"I thought you said it didn't hurt as much anymore? And I _don't_ nag! You're just being incredibly stupid and stubborn right now! Wait here, I'll get you the damn bottle," Ric muttered irritably as he walked back inside the bar.

Damon leaned his body on a pillar outside the bar and breathed in and out, feeling his ribs throbbing painfully. Definitely broken, or at least fractured! But nothing he couldn't handle with a bottle of alcohol. He heaved a huge sigh when Ric returned with a bottle, which he passed to the injured man. Damon unscrewed the bottle and took a few mouthfuls straight from the bottle before he straightened it upright again.

"Aahh, there, all better. Aren't you going to get your car, Ric? Or are you expecting me to walk to the car park?" Damon commented drily, his brows lifted on his forehead. He took three more swigs of the golden liquid again.

"No, I figured you'd be able to fly after being miraculously healed by a bottle of bourbon," Ric retorted sarcastically. "I'll get the car. Please don't die until I returned," Ric said as he crossed the road.

Damon nodded and reached inside his jacket pocket to pull his phone out. He thought he ought to send a text message to Elena to tell her that he was on his way back home and to apologise for missing dinner. But when he saw his phone's cracked screen, he sighed in defeat. Perhaps it was better that she didn't have prior warning to his arrival back home; he'd have trouble explaining himself for the reason he stood her up tonight. After much consideration, he hoped that she was already asleep by the time he got home; if she saw his condition right now, she'd flip out!

To comfort himself, he drank from the bottle again, grateful that the pain had reduced to a dull ache finally. He felt relieved when he saw the familiar headlights of Ric's car exiting the car park of the office building.

* * *

><p>Elena woke up suddenly to find herself still in the bathtub, the water now had cooled down considerably. She let out a shiver as she stood up and drained the tub, grabbing a towel from the rack as she stepped out. She heard the doorbell ringing and then a series of loud knockings from downstairs. <em>Was that what woke her up?<em>

She hurriedly dried herself with the towel and looked around for a change of clothes but couldn't find any. Meanwhile, the doorbell continued to ring incessantly and she panicked slightly at the apparent urgency of the person standing outside her front doors. She walked out naked from the bathroom to find something suitable to wear from her walk-in wardrobe, when the sound of knuckles against a hardwood door thundered from below. She grabbed a robe nearest to her and wrapped her naked body in it as she made her way downstairs, wondering who was at her door at this time of night.

The door bell was ringing again when she swung the door open and let out a shocked gasp at the sight of a bruised Damon who appeared to be unconscious with his eyes closed and an annoyed Ric who was holding him up.

"Man, you took your time answering the door! Can you help me with him? He's heavy!" Ric bit out through his teeth as he heaved the dead weight of his friend into the house.

"I'm sorry, I was in the bathroom. What _happened_ to him?" Elena wondered in rising alarm as she slipped her left arm around Damon's back and placed his right arm around her shoulders as her body supported his weight on the opposite side of Ric.

"Your _father_ happened to him," Ric said in a low voice, "Where do you want to put him?"

"John? Umm...let's get him upstairs to the master bedroom. Should I call an ambulance?" she asked.

"No ambulance!" Damon muttered suddenly with his eyes still closed, making Elena jump at his sudden input. "Alcohol...better."

"Ric, please tell me what happened. Where _were_ you guys? Why was John there? Were they in a fight?" she asked as they slowly manoeuvred their way up the stairs.

"I found Damon drunk off his ass in a bar opposite the office. I was about to drive him home when John and a couple of his buddies showed up. Next thing I know, I was being held back and Damon's on the floor curled up in a ball with John standing over him. He had a baseball bat in his hand, too. You father was there for revenge, Elena." She gasped at the mention of baseball bat, her eyes narrowing worriedly at Damon.

"I hit the baseball bat with my face, ha ha. If you think I look bad, you should see the other fella," Damon mumbled again, this time his eyes were opened slightly.

"What the hell are you talking about? You didn't even hit him! You were on the floor as soon as that bat hit you on the head!" Ric frowned worriedly as Elena flinched at the thought of John's brutal attack, and they finally managed to get Damon into the room.

"What's your point? I coulda taken him if I wanted..." Damon slurred.

"Let's put him on the cabriole sofa, here," she gestured to the chair in front of the bed. His clothes were filthy and he still had traces of blood on his face, body and basically, everywhere. They cautiously lowered him onto the sofa until his body stretched out along the length. Ric's expression was thoughtful for a moment, and then he helped to remove Damon's coat and stained shirt so that Elena need not exert herself trying to lift his body to pull his clothes off him. Ric left his pants and shoes on.

"Are you sure we don't need to send him to the hospital? I mean, those bruises look pretty ugly and he's bleeding. I'm sure he'll need stitches, too," Elena's eyes perused over his body, noting his injuries.

"I'm _not_ sure, but he refused to go to the hospital earlier. Insisted to come right home to see you. But he drank a lot of alcohol after the...incident; he wanted to numb the pain and I think it's working, for now. There'll be hell to pay tomorrow, but for tonight at least he'll be fine. We need to get him cleaned up, though," Ric observed.

"I'll do it, Ric. I'll take care of him tonight. I'll let him sleep it off and then I'll convince him to go to the hospital tomorrow morning. I'll call you if I think he needs help, okay?"

"Okay, Elena. Call me if you need me. _Anytime_, all right?" Ric said as he started to make his way out of the room, his gaze resting on his friend's face.

"I'll walk you out." Together, they went downstairs and she held the door open for Ric.

"Elena, regardless of what happened with John tonight, don't be angry at him for not being here for dinner. He found out something about you and your reporter friend today and it made him lose his head. He cares a lot about you, and he let his jealousy get ahead of him. Just tell me the truth; you're not dating the reporter are you?" Ric asked hesitantly, afraid that he was crossing the line for being nosy, but he wanted to help Damon understand the situation.

"No, of course not! I wish he'd stop thinking that! Was that why he went to get drunk in the bar?" Elena gasped in surprise.

"Yeah, and maybe it's not my place to say this, but you have to know that he's crazy about you. He doesn't want to lose you and he can be rather possessive if he thinks that you're gonna leave him. He's also incredibly loyal so you don't have to worry that he'd even think about another woman as long as he's still with you. Jenna mentioned that you were worried about that, so don't. I've known him for quite a while, and I've never seen him so worked up about a woman before. Just give him a chance, okay? I know you guys have issues, but just, I don't know, take a leap of faith or something. Trust me, he's worth it," Ric smiled softly and then looked sheepish as he realised that he was meddling. It was also the first time that he and Elena were alone.

"I-I'll think about what you said," she promised, a little anxious about having this conversation with Damon's best friend, whom she hardly even know. "You're nosy, but thank you, for everything," she grinned to take the sting out of her statement.

"Yeah, I kinda am nosy, I admit it. But he's my best friend and I wanna see him happy finally. Okay, I'll leave you to it then. Good night and oh, happy birthday, Elena."

"Thanks. Good night," and then she closed the door and locked it before she returned back upstairs. She found him trying to sit up clumsily and she hurried over to stop him from moving too much.

"You're hurt, Damon! Try not to move so much," she instructed as she tried to push him back down.

"'Lena, you were gone for so long. I was...gonna come to look for you. I'm sorry I missed dinner. I'm sorry I didn't call. My phone was broken from the impact when I passed out, I think. I'm so damned sorry," he whispered, his eyes now fully open and intently gazing into hers.

"It's okay, I forgive you. I'm gonna get you cleaned up, just hold on, and don't move around, okay?" she kept her tone light and casual but internally, she was worried sick about his injuries. She got up and went into the bathroom to get a small towel and fill a pail of warm water with a little soap. He was still in the same position she left him in when she returned. She kneeled down beside him and started to wipe his face with the wet towel, making him wince slightly from the sting of the soap.

"Sorry," she said apologetically, regretting that she had to cause him more pain but she had to clean him up.

"No, it doesn't hurt anymore," he murmured. She rolled her eyes at his blatant lie.

"Sure it does. You were hit with a baseball bat!"

"I have a thick skull," he chuckled at his own joke and then winced.

"I have to agree with you there," she teased. She continued to rinse the cloth and wiped his every inch of his face before moving on to the side of his head, where the bat landed earlier. She held back her tears at the sight of the nasty bruise there, now swollen slightly with some traces of dried blood in the area around it and in his hair. She bit her lower lip as she worked; concentrating on not hurting him and not letting him see her tears that started spilling over her lashes.

"Don't cry, 'Lena. I'm okay, honestly. The alcohol helped a lot with the pain," his right hand reached up and wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks with his thumb.

"I'm not crying...I'm just shedding tears. They're sympathy tears. I just don't want to cause you more pain," she whispered back.

"There's no pain greater than the thought of losing you."

"You're not going to lose me, Damon. Now hush, I have to concentrate," she ordered with a stern voice. He smiled but kept his mouth shut, his blue eyes still on her, watching.

After successfully cleaning the worst wound on him, she moved to his bare chest. She focused her attention at the numerous purple bruises and tried to avert her eyes at the sight of his muscles and abs. She tried to remain impassive, as if she was a nurse and he was just her patient. But his unflinching gaze on her face unnerved her.

"Do you know if your ribs are broken? Does it hurt when you breathe?" she asked.

"No," he lied. She looked relieved, so he was happy that he lied.

"Good. Can you lean forward a little? I need to clean your back after I changed the water," she told him and then she disappeared into the bathroom again returned a minute later.

He leaned forward slightly and he held back a wince as she worked the wet towel on his back. It felt really intimate that she was washing him; he wanted the moment to last forever.

She wanted to cry when she saw his back. It looked like he was viciously kicked repeatedly. How could John do this? She was his daughter after all and that made Damon his son-in-law at least. "Why didn't you report John to the police, Damon? I think you should. He's violent and dangerous. He might actually kill you next time."

"He's your father, Elena. I can't send my own father-in-law to jail. Besides, think of all the negative publicity if my wife's father was arrested for attacking me, a Salvatore," he shook his head slightly.

"He doesn't think of us as family, Damon. He never did. I'm worried that he'll hurt you again."

"He won't. This attack was revenge for the previous two times I punched him. Once in my parents' study and another time on our wedding day," he explained.

"Wedding day? When was that? How did I not know about it?" Her brows furrowed into a frown as she thought back to the day. Nope, John was not in _any_ of the wedding event.

"He turned up at the church before you arrived. He was running off at the mouth about you and the baby, so I punched him. Then Stefan evicted him from the church. That's why you didn't know. So this attack of his wasn't unprovoked. He'll leave me alone now that he's got his revenge." He sounded confident enough that she relaxed slightly.

His upper body was now thoroughly cleaned. All that's left was his pants. She hoped to God that he's wearing boxers underneath. She took off his shoes and socks, hesitated for the briefest moment, and then her small hands were unbuckling his belt. His eyes immediately darkened with desire.

"I-I need to remove your pants. They're filthy," she explained as a blush crept up to her face. He didn't respond but just kept gazing at her. Swallowing her nervousness, she slipped the belt strap out of his pant's loops and then gently pulled the zipper downwards. He cooperated by lifting his hips off the chair so that she can pull the pants down and off him. Her mouth went dry when she saw his arousal straining against his boxers. Her wide eyes flew to his and met his smouldering darker blue ones, then they were just staring at each other, unable to tear their eyes away.

She didn't know how long time passed as their eyes remained locked, but she was startled when he lifted his hand to her face again, his thumb stroking her cheek and traced her jaw. Her lips parted in surprise and his thumb instantly moved to caress her soft lips as he moved to sit up, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs.

'No, you shouldn't move! You're gonna make it worse," she objected in alarm and she moved closer to push his shoulders back but he grabbed both her arms and held her against his chest, her brown doe-eyes now wide as saucers.

"I want you," he whispered just a fraction of a second before his lips met hers softly, making her whimper at the contact. Her eyes automatically closed the moment their lips touched, his fingers still gripping her upper arms tightly, as if afraid that she'll pull away if he didn't.

"Your scent have been driving me crazy ever since Ric brought me home. What is that glorious smell?" he murmured against her lips.

"Lavender. I was having a bubble bath," she breathed out, her eyes still closed, savouring his romantic mouth.

"Mmmm, without me? And are you aware of how delectable you look in that robe? It just makes me want to do this," and with that highly erotic statement, he untied the sash around her waist and parted the material, exposing her nakedness underneath. Her eyes flew open in shock and he chose to deepen the kiss at that moment, effectively thwarting any protest from her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her upwards so that she ended up sitting across his lap. He kissed her soundly, pouring all his unspoken feelings of love and tenderness into that kiss, and he felt her slowly relaxing into his body.

He lifted a hand to curve around her neck, and pressed her head closer to his as he ravaged her sweet mouth again and again, until they ran out of breath. He allowed them both to catch their breath, so he pressed kisses down her jaw and neck, making her sigh contentedly. He buried his lips at the hollow of her neck, as his hand slowly trailed downwards, over the gentle swell of her breast, her belly, and lower, delving into her folds.

"Are you wet from the bath, or for me?" he whispered against the sensitive skin of her neck, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine.

"No, Damon, we can't do this," she protested weakly, breathless from the sensual assault of his finger against her clit.

"Why, Elena? Don't you want me?" he whispered brokenly as he lifted his head to look into her now-opened eyes. She could see his self-doubt in his expression, and something else; was it fear? Did he fear that she would push him away again? The thought of this handsome, confident, successful man asking if his teenage wife wanted him in that uncertain tone was her undoing. So, she surrendered.

"I want you. God, I want you so much!" she finally cried out and she wrapped her arms around his neck, surrendering completely.

"I choose you, Elena. I will always choose you. I think deep down, I always have. I don't care what my father does; he can marry Katherine Pierce if he wants the Salvatore-Pierce union so much. I don't care anymore. I just want _you_. I _need_ you," he declared before he claimed her lips again.

An eternity later, he lifted his head from hers, resting his forehead against hers as they panted heavily. "I'm yours, Damon," she breathed out shakily, her emotions all over the place.

"In that case, turn around so that your back is to me," he instructed. Puzzled, she turned her body, so that she was still seated on his lap, but was now facing the walk-in wardrobe. She watched his hands reach to part her thighs from behind her until they spread wide enough that they were straddling his thighs. Then, he grabbed her robe around her shoulders and slowly pushed the material down past her shoulders, over her arms until they were in a heap on his stomach. He pushed the material aside and then sat up straighter, pressing his chest flushed against her back, while his hands reach around to cup her breasts.

"Perfect fit," he murmured against her earlobe, sending another tremor through her responsive body. He teased her swollen nipples, rubbing and pinching gently, knowing how sensitive she was from her conversation with her friends. She let out a throaty moan as she threw her head back to rest against his left shoulder. He moved his right hand away from her breasts and let it travel down to her wet core again. He spread his own thighs, so that her legs spread even wider. Then his fingers were suddenly thrusting in and out of her wetness, and she cried out his name at his ministrations. He sped up his thrusting and curled his fingers so that he was rubbing against the roof of her vagina, where her most sensitive spot was located. Three seconds later, she let out a guttural scream as she ejaculated all over his thighs, chair and floor, the clear liquid gushing out for the first time in her experience. Her entire body was shaking violently from the intensity of her orgasm and she struggled to breathe through her mouth as she tried to grasp what just happened.

He withdrew his drenched fingers and flicked her sensitive clit repeatedly, causing her to immediately convulse into another mind-numbing orgasm. Her body thrashed and jerked on top of his, sending stabs of pain through his body. He clenched his teeth to avoid from groaning out in pain but decided that he had to find a more 'friendly' position to take her fully.

"Come with me to the bed, Elena," he said as he closed her thighs so that she can stand up from his lap. Her body was still twitching from her orgasms, so she walked in a daze to the bed but Damon stopped her before she could climb into it. He moved her so that she was standing right at the edge of the bed, and bent her at the waist so that her arms were on the mattress. He positioned himself right behind her and with a swift move, he had his boxers off. His massive erection stood out proudly, the head an angry red colour. Her juices were still leaking out from her centre and he pressed the head of his manhood just at the entrance, coating it with her wetness.

"Please, Damon. Don't tease me. Please, I want you inside. I need –" her voice cut off when he suddenly entered her to the hilt, and she let out a long raspy moan at the feeling of fullness inside her. Damon rested his hands at the side of her hips, pulling her towards him as he thrust into her from behind again and again, each time, going deeper than before. This time, he couldn't suppress the groans that were escaping from his mouth but she was too wrapped up in her own feelings to notice.

It hurt when he moved too much so he planted his feet firmly apart and stood still, and let her thrust backwards, letting her impale herself with his cock. She found her momentum quickly, and soon he didn't even have to guide her hips. Soon, she was bucking her hips on her own, setting a quick pace as she jerked herself backwards. He could feel himself straining for release very soon, her tightness providing the perfect catalyst for him to erupt violently inside her with a loud moan. The moment he came, he pulled her upper body up towards him so that she was now standing straight up, her back against his chest and the angle of his spurting cock once again rubbed against her g-spot, and she came for the third time that night, his name on her lips.

He held her against him in that position until he felt her inner muscles relax, then he allowed them both to sink down on the bed with exhausted sighs. Both of them were faced down on the bed, with Damon's body slightly on her back, and he stroked her spine lazily as they both drifted off to sleep.

"I love you, wife," she heard him murmur against her ear and her heart soared with delight. She fell asleep with a smile on her lips and his arms wrapped tightly around her, as if he would never let her go again.

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><p><strong>Remember what I said about waiting...and waiting at the beginning of this chapter? Told you to be patient! <strong>

**Hope you're happy with me and the chapter with the major progress in DELENA's relationship. Even if we can't have it in the TVD series, oh well, I guess this is what Fanfictions are for, right?**

**Hope you liked the smut...or rather loved the smut and how they finally admitted their feelings.**

**As usual, like it, love it, or hate it, READ AND REVIEW please. Appreciate it!**

**I hope this chapter warrants your review! At least more than the usual, right? Right? RIGHT?**


	18. Chapter 18

**Yaay! My regulars are back and oh! My highest number of reviews for a chapter yet! 38 for a chapter! Sweeet!**

**I'm so happy I'm hugging myself with glee and grinning like a Cheshire cat right now. Or the Joker. I'm checking out my grin in the mirror, and it's seriously scary! I can see all my teeth and my eyes are mere slits by now.**

**Yup, Damon's quite the stud! Whether he's the undead, bruised, or drunk, he just loves to procreate; that's just how he rolls. **

**And now we're rolling onto the next chapter...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 18: Meddlesome Foursome <strong>

Damon opened his eyes groggily and squinted at the glare from the brightness streaming in from the windows. For a moment he looked around him, wondering what he was doing in the master bedroom. Puzzled, he looked at the space beside him and it was empty, but woah, he was naked! Why was he _naked_ in Elena's bed? He sat up quickly but half a second later, he was lying back on the bed wishing he had stayed still.

"OWW, WHAT THE HELL?"

Elena's head snapped up at the sound of Damon's roar and she quickly grabbed the glass of water and tablets from the kitchen counter. She hurried upstairs and practically flew into the bedroom where her husband's face was screwed up like a prune, grimacing with pain.

"Damon, you shouldn't be moving! You're hurt! Here, I brought you some painkillers and water, you should take them now." Without giving him an option, she forced two pills into his mouth and tilted his head so that he could swallow some water down with it.

"Elena, why do I feel like I got hit by a bus, got rolled on by a tractor and fell from the sky without a parachute? Also, can you please tell me why I'm naked in _your_ bed?" he asked when he finished swallowing. He was afraid to make any sudden movements for fear of experiencing the excruciating pain again.

"Wait, don't you remember what happened last night?" Elena's face visibly fell at the thought of him forgetting the magical night they had together last night and what he said to her after as they were falling asleep.

"I remember two bottles of bourbon and getting really drunk, but that's it. Did I do or say something stupid last night? How did I even get home?" he asked as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples to ease his throbbing headache.

Elena shook her head as disappointment washed through her. Last night was one of the most memorable, special and defining moment in their relationship. It was epic. And _yeah_, he _did_ say something last night, and it was anything _but_ stupid; he had finally declared that he loved her and that he chose her over his family business. Then they had the most amazing sexual experience ever! It was the turning point of their 'platonic' marriage and _now_ he can't even remember it?

"John assaulted you last night, and Ric brought you home. You must have had a lot of alcohol in your system because it didn't seem to hurt as bad as what you're feeling now. Are the painkillers working now at least?" She sat down on the edge of the bed next to him and gently massaged his temples.

"Mmm yeah, now I feel so much better, like I fell from a three storey building and landed on hard concrete. I could get up and do a little dance right now," he joked, his sense of humour returning as the pain slowly reduced. "Mmmm, that feels nice," he mumbled as he felt her soft fingers soothing his aching head.

"Well don't get used to this, because I'm taking you to the hospital to get checked out. You were being so pig-headed last night and refused to go, so I called Ric when I woke up and he'll be here soon. So, as soon as the painkillers fully kick in, you're going to get up and get dressed even if we have to drag you there kicking and screaming, which might be hell for you." To prove her point, she withdrew her hands from his head and stood up to bring a change of clothes for him but his hand shot out and grabbed on to her, preventing her from walking away.

"Noooo, I don't want to move. Can't we just stay here and continue the massage? I'm a fast healer. Just keep the painkillers coming and I'll be as good as new by tomorrow," he pouted adorably, and she was so tempted to lean in and kiss his pouty mouth, but since he didn't remember what happened between them last night, she felt that it would be inappropriate. Just then, the doorbell rang, signalling Ric's arrival.

"I'll be right back after I let Ric in. Try to get up and get dressed, all right?" She hurried over to his room and grabbed a shirt, pants and a set of boxers from his drawer and brought it over to him on her bed, where he was still laying on. Then she gave him a reassuring pat on his arms and went downstairs to greet Ric.

All alone for now, he was still wondering why he was naked underneath the sheet. Did _she_ undressed him or did Ric? Eww, he hoped it was Elena; he didn't get why Ric would remove his boxers. The thought sent an uncomfortable feeling down his spine. He lifted both his arms experimentally, and when _that_ didn't hurt, he tried to sit up again, but cautiously this time. There was a dull ache in his chest, but it was a whole lot better than earlier.

He slowly swung his legs around so that he ended up sitting on the edge of the bed. Relieved that the pain was at least tolerable now, he quickly pulled on the boxers and then his pants and shirt. He was about to stand up to zip up his pants when he caught sight of a colourful card on the bedside table. He reached out and read it with curiosity.

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><p>"<em>To my dearest sister, it's better to be over the hill than under it. Happy Birthday, love, your awesome and hot brother. P.s. I mailed this to our house since I didn't know the address of the old folks' home you're staying at<em>."_ - JEREMY_

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><p>As if the birthday card from Jeremy had been the exact trigger his mind had been waiting for, the previous night's events came crashing down in his mind, as if they were being downloaded in chronological order. He remembered getting drunk in the bar, but this time Ric came in and told him about Elena's birthday and then they were outside, and suddenly he was curled up on the pavement in pain from John's attack. He remembered drinking again to help to dull the pain in his body, and then he was home. He remembered seeing her in her bathrobe, and her smell...lavender, she had told him. She had been so caring last night, and washed his wounds, gently as if she was afraid she'd hurt him.<p>

And then, something _magical_ happened. Yes, he had told her how he felt, that he chose her and wanted her. Amazingly, she had admitted that she wanted him too. And what followed was the most passionate love-making they had ever had. How could he have forgotten the feeling of being with her so intimately last night? It should have been imprinted in his brain and nothing should have made him forget that. And after, when they both collapsed exhaustively on the bed, he had declared his love for her. And he did; he really loved her.

"Damon? Are you decent? Ready or not, we're coming in," came Ric's voice over the closed bedroom door.

Ric twisted the knob and pushed the door open to reveal a grinning Damon, who was sitting on the bed with a dreamy expression on his face.

"I must say, you're taking being beaten up by your lunatic father-in-law rather well. What's with the ridiculous grin?" Ric asked when his friend didn't react to having his privacy interrupted by the sight of the two men by the door.

"Do you think he has brain damage? Can't believe you didn't take him to the ER last night, Ric," Stefan whispered with concern evident in his voice. "Damon?"

At the sound of his name, Damon turned towards his brother and best friend with the same stupid grin on his face, with a little smugness added in. "I love Elena," he declared as if he was divulging a big secret.

Stefan rolled his eyes and gave an expression of 'duh' on his face. "We kinda already knew that, but hey, it's always good to reassure yourself. But maybe you should be telling _her_, not us."

"I did, last night. After we spent the most passionate night together," Damon continued grinning like an idiot, feeling absurdly happy.

"Woah, you do realize that you're _injured_ right? How did you even-I mean with your bruises-is it even possible? Never mind, forget it. I don't wanna know," Ric shook his head as if to clear his head of the images he had conjured up. "Come on, let's get you checked out," he proceeded to hook his arms under Damon's on one side to stand him up while Stefan hurried over to support his brother's weight on the other side. Then, all three of them looked down when Damon's pants slid down to his ankles, leaving him in only his shirt and boxers.

That was how Elena, Jenna and Caroline found them, three guys looking downwards, Damon's face remained in a huge grin despite the fact that his pants are on the ground. Amused beyond words, Elena leaned against the doorframe, and cleared her throat loudly, and three pairs of eyes snapped up to her face; the middle one gazing at her with the strangest expression while the other two looked sheepish.

"Umm, Ric? Something you want to tell me? I didn't realise you three were so 'close'," Jenna teased.

"Yeah, Stef. I didn't know you were batting for the other team, if you know what I mean. And incest with your own brother? With his wife in the house? Tsk tsk tsk, wonder how Mama Rosa's gonna take the news," Caroline said with a cheeky grin.

"For God's sake, Damon, pull your pants up!" Stefan growled, his face red with embarrassment.

The girls chuckled loudly as they left the men alone to deal with the situation and made their way downstairs to the two cars that were heading to the hospital.

"Mmm, 'Lena, your husband looks hot in boxers," Jenna commented.

"Yes, he does, but he looks even better out of it," Elena replied, giggling loudly at her aunt and friend's impressed looks.

* * *

><p>Elena was holding Damon's hand while the doctor was explaining the extent of his injuries.<p>

"Mrs. Salvatore, I can't, for the life of me, understand why you didn't bring your husband in immediately after his incident last night! We are extremely lucky that his injuries were not severely compromised. After the various tests we conducted, we found Mr. Salvatore's ribs were badly bruised, especially the muscles around the right side of the rib cage. That means complete bed rest for two weeks and please limit any physical activity as well. It will heal by itself, but it will be painful! Now as for the head injury from the trauma of a baseball bat, I really don't know how you're even coherent now, Mr. Salvatore. There's a mild contusion and slight swelling on the left of your head, but there's no cranial bleeding, nor any signs of fracture. You must have a thick skull!" Dr. Fell said in a disbelieving tone.

"That's what _he_ said last night!" Elena spoke up, feeling greatly relieved that his injuries were not as serious as they had feared.

"Yes, but you still should have brought him in last night! It's not a risk you should take; it could very well be a life-and-death matter!" the doctor chided with a disapproving frown.

"It's _my_ fault, I didn't want to go. I was too drunk to think clearly and insisted to stay at home and sleep it off. Next time this happens, I'll make sure that I come in and get myself checked out, I promise," Damon spoke up quickly, unwilling for Elena to take the blame for something that was his fault. Besides, he didn't like her being the recipient of the disapproving gaze from the doctor.

"_Next_ time?" Elena's eyes narrowed on Damon's. "There won't _be_ a next time, Damon!"

"You're right, there won't! Sorry!" he squeezed her hand for reassurance. "So, Dr. Fell, do I have to be admitted or can I just recuperate at home? I don't really like hospitals and I won't be able to sleep properly."

"Well, I would rather you stay for observation overnight at least, but I can probably arrange for a nurse to drop by later today to check up on you if you'd prefer to stay at home. But please make sure that you call me if you're experiencing anything out of the ordinary. I will prescribe you some painkillers, some muscle relaxant, something to reduce your swelling and antibiotics just in case of infection. I will also issue you a medical leave of two weeks where you're strictly required to spend in bed without any strenuous activities. Now, Mrs. Salvatore, if you'll follow me, I'll need you to sign some release papers and collect the prescription from the pharmacy."

Elena nodded and removed her hand from Damon's tight grip to follow the doctor out, and his heart twisted a little at the loss of her touch. His lower lip jutted out in a pout as he watched his wife leave the room until the rest of the gang walked in to accompany him.

"We were eavesdropping outside and heard what the doctor said," Stefan said with a smile. "So, no 'strenuous physical activity' for two whole weeks, huh? I wonder how you're gonna make the time go by faster? You could catch up on your reading!"

"Shut up Stef, I have painkillers. And I _will_ take the Doctor's instructions into advisement, but it doesn't mean I'm gonna do _everything_ he says. Besides, I can tolerate pain like no one can, if you catch my drift," Damon winked conspirically at Stefan and Ric, as they were the only ones who knew about his and Elena's previous night's doings, or so he thought.

"If you're talking about the passionate sex you had with Elena last night, we already know," Caroline rolled her eyes at Damon's pathetic attempt to hide the truth from her. Didn't he know her well enough by now? She was Caroline Forbes; she _always_ knows!

"W-what? Why you two blabbermouths! Can't believe you guys are as gossipy as little teenage girls! Is nothing sacred with you two?" Damon exclaimed indignantly.

"Yes, a lot of things are sacred, but not when it comes to your relationship with Elena. Let's just say that we have an invested interest to see you both work out your differences and live happily ever after. So, we want to help you win your wife back," Ric declared as the other three people around him nodded their heads eagerly.

"Why? I've _already_ won her back last night, and we didn't need your help then! We can handle our own marriage, thank you very much," Damon declined firmly.

"I beg to differ! You haven't _handled_ anything regarding Elena well at all! You keep jumping to conclusions and throwing tantrums like a teenager! And then you fly off into jealous frenzies at the thought of her dating someone else, which is completely preposterous! Trust me, man, if we left it to you, you'd be divorced already. Or worse! You could have turned her into a lesbian and made her swear off men for good!" Ric insisted.

"All right, all right, what do I have to do to get you guys off my back?" Damon raised his hands in a 'I-surrender' position as he regarded his friends in curiosity.

"Go on a trip with her. A honeymoon! It's perfect because you guys never _went_ on a honeymoon, and you should go somewhere far enough so that you won't get distracted with work and stuff. Besides, you guys can bond over the long flight to and fro. Oh and bring her to somewhere romantic, with plenty of fresh air and hills, and ooh...shopping. Take her shopping!" Caroline pleaded eagerly.

"Hmmpf, sounds more like _your_ honeymoon! Would you like to come along, Care?" Damon remarked in a sarcastic tone.

"Oooh, _can_ I?" she almost shrieked with excitement.

"Caroline!" Stefan chided, with a frown and a firm shake of his head.

"Oh, okay, yeah I can't go. I have a date," she hastily replied, looking down at her fingernails in an obvious attempt to avoid Stefan's gaze.

"With who?" Stefan demanded, feeling his chest hurt at the thought of his crush dating someone else.

"When? I didn't even confirm on a date yet," Damon asked instead as he chuckled at his brother's reaction.

"It's none of your business, Stefan, and I have dates _every_ night until August. Or you know, until I am exclusive with someone. So, until I find Mr. Right, I will keep dating all the Mr. Maybes," Caroline said casually, but she kept glancing at Stefan for his reaction.

"That's a great idea! Stef, why don't you do the same? Remember that day, the pretty blonde who handed you her phone number? You should ask her out! _She_ might be Ms. Right, if not, then keep dating until you find her," Ric winked cheekily at Stefan who just looked at him non-plussed until he finally caught on and laughed.

"What blonde?" Caroline's eyes narrowed and glowered at Ric who just shrugged dismissively.

"It's none of your business, Care. But oh man, was she hot! You're right, Ric, I should give her a call. Thanks for reminding me, man," Stefan grinned as he high-fived his cohort. Caroline's face looked thunderous and was about to stomp out but luckily, Elena saved the day when she reappeared in the room.

"Hey guys, we're all done here so we can go home. What's going on?" she asked as she noticed Caroline's displeased expression versus the guys' amused ones.

"Nothing 'Lena, we're just talking about our dating lives. Let's go," Jenna bit back her chuckle as she observed Caroline shooting daggers at Stefan's back as they started to walk out, with Damon once again supported by both guys.

* * *

><p>Damon was lying down on his own bed, contemplating on whether he should confront Elena on what happened the previous night or whether he should give it some time. She was under the impression that he had no recollection of what went on between them, and she had not conveyed any intention to bring up the subject so far. What if it was a moment of weakness and now she regretted going to bed with him? Well, it was a major moment that they shared last night, and he sure as hell can't ignore it! But what if the moment was over and now she realized that she didn't want him? After all, when he said he loved her, she didn't say it back. Oh crap, was this one of those times where Ric said he couldn't handle by himself? Hmm...maybe he should call him and ask for his advice. Was this what his love-life had come to? Any major decision-making and he'd run off to Ric for advice? This was beyond ridiculous.<p>

"Damon? Are you sleeping?" came a knock on the door and Elena's soft voice after it.

"Yes, I'm sleeping and I happen to sleep-talk right at this moment," he answered with a smile on his lips. Her head peeked in and she smiled back sheepishly.

"Okay, that was a stupid question. It's time for your medication. How are you feeling? Any pain?" she asked as she approached his bed with a tray full of various items; a music cd, a book, two pieces of printed A4 paper, his medication, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, and a bowl of salad.

"Not much, must be the painkillers from earlier. Thanks for taking care of me," he said softly as she came to sit beside him on the bed.

"You're welcome. Oh, Ric said to return the Taylor Swift CD to you, and this book is just in case you're bored."

"Hmm...Fifty Shades of Grey? This looks new, is it yours?" Damon turned the book around to read the synopsis.

"It was a gift from Jenna. I haven't read it yet, but I thought you might want to since you're going to be stuck here for two weeks," she shrugged. "Here, sit up so that you can eat some salad before you take the medicines," he set the book down and she helped him sit up and arranged some pillows behind him so that he could settle back comfortably. He flashed her a grateful smile as he ate, his eyes on her the whole time.

"I did some research on the Internet, and I found some homemade remedies that may help to accelerate the healing process of your bruised ribs. Here, I printed it out in case you wanted to try them out," she showed him the two pieces of A4 paper and continued, "It says here that you can mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with the same amount of water, dip a paper towel into it and hold it against the affected area for fifteen minutes. It should help to remove the blood clot under the skin. Also, we can add a cupful of Epsom salts and a few drops of lavender oil into a warm bath; supposedly they can reduce inflammation to relax the muscles to minimise the pain. Then, if you are feeling adventurous, you can also try drinking blackstrap molasses tea daily. This blog that I read – the writer fell down from a bike, and the doctor said he'd need two to three weeks to recover, but after trying all the homemade remedies, he's back on the bike after three days! Are you up for it?" she sounded uncertain and slightly silly for suggesting such things to a guy who would probably prefer to listen to an authorised medical practitioner than to believe in unproven methods.

"Hey, I'll try _anything_ if it means I won't have to spend a moment longer than necessary being in bed," he scoffed. "Hey, that was a _good_ salad!" he complimented, as he swallowed the medication and chased them down with orange juice.

"I had some cooking training yesterday," she said vaguely, fidgeting under his gaze when his expression immediately turned solemn.

"I'm sorry I didn't turn up for dinner, Elena. I'm sorry I made you worry all night," he told her softly with deep regret.

She nodded slowly and bit her lower lip, as if she was weighing the merits of whether she should say what she was thinking or not.

"So why _didn't_ you come home for dinner? Why were you drunk at the bar? Was it something that I did?" she finally decided to ask. He sighed and shook his head sadly.

"It's not you, it's...me. I was having a temper tantrum like a spoilt little kid instead of coming to talk to you about my feelings. But I want to be honest with you, because, well, I promised that I would be from our wedding day. And I hope that you'll be as forthright with me, too. Whatever it is, I can take it. And the truth is, I was freaking out about you spending the afternoon with your reporter friend," he admitted finally, and waited for her reaction.

"Elijah? Yeah, Ric mentioned something about that last night. Look, Elijah and I are just friends. I would admit that it would seem weird that he was here in our house yesterday, but he showed up with some packed lunch instead of meeting at a cafe like we had planned. We're working on a story that required some privacy away from a public discussion. It was all supposed to be top secret and hush-hush, but I told him yesterday that I wanted to tell you the truth, that I couldn't bear hiding anything from you anymore. I told him I didn't want any misunderstandings between us and since he and I had nothing to hide, he agreed that it was okay to tell you. I was gonna do it last night, but then you didn't come home, and when you _did_, you were hurt and it didn't seem that important anymore. But you're right; we _should_ be honest with each other. Why didn't you tell me that you saw his text message?"

"Honestly, I didn't know what to think! The message itself was misleading and I talked to Ric about it, but he managed to convince me that it could be read like an innocent message from a therapist or a yoga instructor, you know, about taking the next step together. So I just brushed it aside, until yesterday afternoon when I found out that he was at the house, and you were cooking together in my own kitchen, and it was like finding Katherine cheating on me in my own house all over again. I know everything was entirely above-board between you and Mr. Reporter, but it was an insecurity that I never got over. If anything, the knowledge that you had another guy in our house and in our kitchen without being compromising hurt me _more_ than discovering Kat in bed naked with Mason ever did. I-I really don't want to lose you, Elena. It's just _not_ an option," his clear blue eyes gazed intently into hers, so she could feel his sincerity and a very real fear of losing her.

Without any warning, the previous night's feelings and his words that he declared flooded her thoughts and suddenly, she was leaning in and lowering her lips to his, catching him offguard. Pushing the tray aside, he pulled her onto his lap despite her protests at hurting him. He held her head against his as his tongue plundered her mouth, and she moaned out her pleasure. Her arms snaked around his neck and hugged him tightly, unwilling to be apart from him. She lifted her head when she needed to breathe and rested her head against his shoulder, while he wrapped her in his arms as he panted for breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to celebrate your birthday dinner with you. I promise I'll make it up to you. How do you feel about a trip to Italy to visit young Jeremy? I'm thinking one week in Italy; I'll show you where my ancestors lived too. I have two weeks of medical leave and we haven't exactly been on our honeymoon yet," he lifted his eyebrows when she pulled back to look at him in shock.

"But you're injured! You're not fit for travelling; you're not even supposed to move around so much. Dr. Fell said no strenuous activity, remember?" she reminded sternly.

"Nah, if I could make you cum three times without being on painkillers last night, _believe_ me, I can take you to Italy," he grinned mischievously. Oh yeah, it was time to let her know that he remembered everything that happened last night.

"Damon! I thought you couldn't remember anything!" she blushed furiously at the mention of her cumming three times.

"Oh it all came _screaming_ back to me as I was putting on clothes before we left for the hospital. And oh yeah, there were a lot of screaming last night, weren't there? Especially your _first_ orgasm of the night. I remembered a lot of screaming, moaning, and even some gushing. I've never wanted you _more_ last night, and if I recall correctly, you wanted me too. And if you're willing, we can test out the painkillers right now," he finished breathlessly as he started raining kisses down the side of her neck, across her shoulder blades as he pushed her long silky hair over her back and pushed her spaghetti strap down her arms.

She sighed and closed her eyes as she tilted her head back even more, unable to deny him any more than she could hold back the desire flooding through her. Damn her pregnancy hormones and lack of self-control! In the back of her mind, there was something else that she had to tell him, but for the life of her, she can't quite recall it. Her mind was solely concentrating on the fact that he was now sucking on the flesh around her collar bone, and she arched her back, pushing her body against his, making him grunt out in pain. The sound penetrated through her hazy mind and she quickly climbed out of his lap and separated herself from him.

"Hey, what happened? Get over here!" he reached out to pull her back but she held his wandering hands in hers.

"No, Damon. You're in pain and I won't make it worse for you. I already feel guilty enough for not forcing you to go to the hospital last night. I can't...enjoy myself when I know that I'm causing you pain."

"Elena, I'm _in_ pain right now!" he gritted out in frustration as his eyes lowered in an obvious indication to his swollen member between his thighs. "You're not going to leave a guy hanging, are you?"

"I'll make you a deal right now, okay? We don't do anything...strenuous until you're well enough and then we can have a real honeymoon in Italy and see Jeremy. And I'll need Dr. Fell's clearance before we go, deal?" she tilted her head and tried not to give away any indication to what she had planned for him.

"A _real_ honeymoon? You mean never leaving the hotel room at all, naked all the time, room service, the whole nine yards?" he asked in a daze.

"Well, we'll have to leave the hotel to see Jeremy and you just promised me that we'll see your ancestors' home, but otherwise, yeah, the whole nine yards. Oh, and I wanted you to meet Elijah too, and we'll tell you about this story we're working on. So what do you say, Mr. Salvatore?" she grinned, knowing he'd accept the deal.

"Forget about Elijah, I'm still reeling from the smut-filled honeymoon proposal you made, and I must say, you are a tough negotiator! You've got yourself a deal, Mrs. Salvatore," and with that, he pulled her to him to seal the deal with a passionate kiss. Imagine his surprise when he felt her small hands unzipping his jeans and pushing them down his thighs along with his boxers. He groaned out loud when he felt her hand gripping his length and massaged the head with her thumb and forefinger.

"I didn't say I was going to leave you hanging, did I?" she whispered in his ear teasingly as she quickly bent down to envelope his aching erection with her mouth, and he exhaled sharply at the warm sensation. Her tongue swirled around the tip of the head and down his length, before flicking down lower to his scrotum.

"Elena! What are you-oh sweet Jesus!" he gasped out when she slowly made her way up again, but this time she took a deep breath and inserted his whole length down her mouth, as far as she could without gagging. This was her first time giving head, but she learnt enough from listening to her close friends' experience in high school. Now she was comfortable and confident enough to try it on her husband, and judging from his reactions; she was doing quite well indeed.

Experimentally, she wrapped her fingers tightly at the base of his penis, and squeezed as she moved her lips up and down slowly, at times withdrawing completely before lowering her lips down the length again and again. At one point, she even tried humming and the vibrating sensations made him arch his hips and burying his fingers in her hair, holding her in place.

"God, that felt incredible," he groaned when she finally lifted her head while her hand continued its up-and-down pumping motion. "Don't stop, please, I'm almost there," he pleaded breathlessly. She wrapped her lips around the sensitive helmet-shaped head and sucked hard as her hand increased in speed. She managed to lift her head just in time before he erupted with a loud yell, "Holy hell! Lena!" and spurted his cum all over his abdomen, panting wearily. She snuggled next to him as they caught their breath.

"I'm gonna kill the asshole who taught you to do that so well, Elena," he threatened when he was finally able to breathe again.

"Then _asshole_, who's going to bring me to our honeymoon?" she asked as she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

* * *

><p><strong>I apologise if the medical terms or information may not be accurate, but let's face it, I'm not writing a thesis here. I did whatever research I could over the Internet, so if his injuries seemed unrealistic, just get over it and get on with the smut.<strong>

**Next chapter: Elijah and Damon's reaction to them working on the story, namely his company's investigation.**

**As usual, like it, love it, or hate it, READ AND REVIEW please. Appreciate it!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks again for all your reviews and new story alerts/favourites, etc. I usually reply each and every review, but if I missed you out, a thousand apologies to you! Also to those who disabled their Private Messaging or anonymous reviewers. I appreciate your comments all the same.**

**I know I'm two days late in submitting this chapter but it was a hectic weekend for me, work-wise. A thousand apologies, and hope that this chapter was worth the wait! **

**Talk to you guys laterz!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: Conversations with (in)animate objects<strong>

"I feel like a goddamned girl," Damon whined, his brows furrowed.

"Perhaps you'd look less like one if you weren't wearing my shower cap and blowing bubbles at me!" Elena rolled her eyes as she grinned in amusement at the sight of her hunky husband sitting in the bathtub surrounded by bath bubbles, his cheeks rosy from the temperature of the warm water.

"I think I look good wearing hats! Hats are making a fashion comeback, you know? And they make a statement! Fedoras say: I'm Mr. Cool-and-Collected-but-also-Playful. So, what does the shower cap say about me?"

"Well, it says that you're Mr. Super Mario and you're ready to knock the mushrooms off any brick with that strong head of yours. Of course, that would also makes _me_ Princess Toadstool who is forever kidnapped and locked in dungeons, waiting for my shower capped hero to rescue me," she giggled as he scowled at her description of him and hastily snatched the unflattering plastic cover off his head and tossing it aside with a revolted look on his face.

"Oooh, you being tied up in a dungeon! I love the idea! Anyway, quit your yakking, Princess Toadstool, and come scrub my back!" he ordered haughtily and leaned forward so that she could sit on the edge of the bathtub behind him with her legs spread wide to accommodate his broad shoulders. She chuckled loudly as she used a loofah and ran it lightly across his back where his bruises were still visible but fading rapidly. The bath was one of the homemade remedies she sourced from the Internet and so far, he seemed to be relaxed and smelling of lavender. Mixed with some Epsom salts, the process was supposed to reduce inflammation to relax his muscles, and it seemed to be working...somewhat.

"Ummm, Mario? You're supposed to be _completely_ relaxed, but I can still see a part of you that refuses to stop peeping at me from below the water. Make it stop!" she pretended to be horrified as his erection made its presence known by periodically popping up.

"_It_? 'It' has a name – The General! He's friendly and just wanted to say hi and you know, to thank you for blowing him kisses yesterday," he grinned cheekily and manoeuvred his hips so that 'The General' appeared over the water level again, the pink head turning slightly red at the attention.

"You _named_ it? And why 'The General'? Why not 'One-Eyed Willie', or 'Sir-Spits-A-Lot'?" she asked in complete and utter seriousness, as if the very idea of men naming their...penises was unheard of. Now, she was running the loofah down his front, and the roughness of the material grazed his nipple, causing 'The General' to twitch in reaction of the unexpected friction.

"Well,_ I_ didn't name him. He was named by a girlfriend in high school; she probably thought that he deserved some high-ranking name after having experienced him. I was kinda popular with the girls even back then," he flashed a smug smile at her before he resumed closing his eyes and letting her spoil him by massaging his shoulders.

A moment later, he finally realised that her fingers were no longer moving and he tilted his head up to see that she was completely lost in thoughts and was biting her lower lip distractedly. "Penny for your thoughts," he spoke softly and her apprehensive eyes met his startlingly blue ones.

"I was just thinking that we've never had the whole past-lovers' conversations. I mean, obviously I don't have _much_ to tell you since you were my first, but I've told _you_ about my ex-boyfriend slash best friend whom I dated briefly. I knew that you were...intimate with Katherine, but the thought that you've had other lovers before her never even crossed my mind. But I guess I should've known, huh? I mean, you _are_ incredibly good in bed, and that must have been due to all your previous experiences, right? You must be getting bored of my clumsy fumbling when we're together, aren't you? I know that I can't compare to all your other lovers when it comes to sex and I'm sorry for my lack of experience," she admitted in a small voice while he turned his whole body around to gape at her in disbelief.

"What are you talking about? I _love_ our sex-life! I mean, granted, we're not allowed to go all out due to my stupid injuries, but give me a few more days, and I'll prove to you how good we are together! So, don't even compare yourself to anyone; they are not _you_ and you sure as hell aren't them – thank God for that!" he exclaimed, gripping her hands in his tightly.

"But surely there are things that _they've_ done for you that I don't, or don't know how. Damon, you _will_ tell me if you want me to do something in bed, right? I'm willing to learn! You can teach me, teach me how to please you. I don't want to be the type of wife that doesn't know how to keep her husband satisfied and then one day, you'll leave me to look for another who can. I-I don't know if I'll _ever_ be enough for you, but I will try," Damon was thrown by the real emotions and fear in her eyes

"Are you serious right now? Do you _really_ feel that way?" he was mystified and unsure how to react when he realized that she had so little confidence in herself. "Because Elena, you only have to look down and see how much of an impact you have on me just by sitting near me, fully clothed. I was smitten by you from day one, when I looked up and saw you sitting beside me at the bar. The first thing that I heard from you was a moan, when you were massaging your ankles after taking off your shoes, and I was awestruck; by a single moan! I was struggling to act like a gentleman I was raised to be the whole night, but all I wanted to do was to have you all to myself somewhere and make you moan, groan, call out my name for the rest of the night!"

"Okay, so maybe so you were sexually attracted to me, even though you made it sound a little serial-killer-ry. Attraction is one thing, but marriage is another, Damon. I guess I'm just not convinced that a hopeless teenager like me can hold on to a man like _you_ when I don't even know half of what I'm doing most of the time! I'm not beautiful or sexy, like Katherine is. I'm not smart, or sophisticated. I'm just a simple college student who has not even stepped out of New York in my life! But you..._look_ at you! You're New York's most eligible bachelor _and_ you're a Salvatore! I have to keep looking over my shoulder to find out if other women are coming after me with a big stick! I-I realize how lucky I am to be married to you, Damon. Other women would sell their right lung to be with a husband like you," she told him in a sad voice, her eyes downcast. She let out a shocked shriek when he suddenly pulled her off the edge of the bathtub so that she ended up seated in the tub with him, soaked pants and all.

"Listen to me," he cupped her face in his hands, holding her head still to keep her eyes on him. "Don't sell yourself short, Elena. You have _no_ idea what you mean to me, do you? _I'm_ the lucky bastard who married the most amazing, sweet, beautiful, and perfect-in-every-way woman who can hold her own among the very short list of phenomenal women I'd ever met; the only other one who made the list is my mother. Elena, I'm _humbled_ by how wonderful you are and I wake up every morning thanking God that I get to have another day with you by my side. So, no more all this nonsense about you not being enough for me, understand?" he sounded stern when he asked her that, and she reacted rather stubbornly to his tone rather than his words.

"Perfectly! Even though I find it disturbing that you'd compare me to your mother, but whatever! I'm amazing, _you're_ amazing; we are _both_ fantastic people!" she retorted angrily, and then burst out laughing at the hilarity of the situation. "Damon, are we arguing about how _wonderful_ we are to each another and how lucky we both are to have one another in our lives?"

"Why, I guess we are!" he grinned suddenly as he held her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her so that her cheek rested on his wet chest. Her proximity itself made his forgotten arousal twitched, as if proving a point to her on her effect on Damon.

"Look, it moved!" she gasped softly when she saw that. "Is it awake? Does it want to play?" to her delight, it twitched again, making her squeal out excitedly. "Damon! It can hear me! It's so clever!"

"Elena, don't be silly. 'The General' doesn't answer questions; he just twitches for fun!" he rolled his eyes at her cuteness.

"Shut up! I'm in the middle of a conversation with Sir-Spits-A-Lot!" she insisted indignantly. "Sir, can I ask you a question?"

Twitch.

"Tell me the truth; how many girls have you had? More than five?"

Twitch.

"Hmm...more than ten?"

Twitch.

"More than _twenty_?" her eyes were as wide as saucers now.

Twitch.

"Ugghhh, I'm _not_ sure I wanna know now. Okay, how about this one: Do you think Damon was telling the truth when he said that he loved our sex-life?"

Twitch.

"Well, _of course_ you'd side with your owner, you unfair lump of meat! Hmmm, who is better; Katherine or me?"

No response. At this point, Damon didn't know _what_ to think!

"Okay, that wasn't a yes-and-no question, was it? All right, I got it; Was Katherine a better lover than me?"

No response.

"Am _I _better for Damon sexually?"

Twitch, twitch. Damon was barely able to hold back his chuckle by now.

"Okay, I believe you. Do you want me to stop asking you questions?"

Twitch.

"Alright, but can you wait a few more days until Damon's well enough to ah...to see some action?"

No response.

"Oh," her face fell as she peered at the swollen member guiltily, as if she wasn't being fair to it by abstaining from sex based on Dr. Fell's orders.

"Oh, Elena, I can't believe you're real!" A deafening burst of laughter startled her and then Damon snatched her up to sit astride his lap and she looked up just in time to see his broad grin getting closer and closer to her face until his lips swooped in and kissed her fully, stifling any objections she might have on crushing Sir-Spits-A-Lot with her weight.

His lips teased her, his fingers buried in her heavy hair as he tilted her head to the left so that he could deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth. With a moan, she surrendered herself fully to his sweet assault, her arms finding their way around his neck as she held on tight. It felt like an eternity later when he finally managed to tear his lips away, but not removing it completely from her skin as he nibbled her jaw line and made its slow descent down the side of her neck, invoking a shudder and another moan from her.

"Damon, we have to stop; the water's gotten cold," she murmured distractedly, still enjoying his soft kisses on her erogenous zone.

"Fine, we'll stop, but after one of the weirdest and girly bath I just had, I wanna do something butch and masculine so that I'll feel more manly again. Any ideas?" he sighed with disappointment when he reluctantly lifted his lips from her warm skin.

"Well, Elijah will be here in two hours so we don't have much time to do anything, except maybe watch an action movie like the Avengers, or some sports channel...or if you want to do something more relaxing, I can always give you a facial," she offered as a joke as she carefully helped him to stand up and then towel-dried his body and drained the tub.

"Okay! Can you put those slices of cucumbers on my eyes, too? I want the whole spa-like experience," he said eagerly, completely ignoring the fact that a facial treatment was neither butch nor masculine. Elena held a bathrobe open behind him and he slipped his arms into the sleeves and then she tied the belt loosely around his waist.

"Yes, Mr. Salvatore, two slices of cool cucumber coming right up," she spoke softly with a Swedish accent, mimicking the lady who gave _her_ a facial the last time Jenna brought her along to a spa in town.

"Ooh, that's kinda hot! Can you pretend to be a Swedish girl again when I'm all well again? 'The General' would love that, especially if you let me boss you around a little bit too!" he grinned as he stretched out on the bed to wait for Elena to get ready and changed into dry clothes for his pampering session.

"Of course, Mr. Salvatore, I will do whatever you want as long as you don't mind that I'm actually...a dude," she deliberately deepened her voice at the last two words and smiled mischievously when his expression turned from teasing to utterly disgusted in a split second.

"Ugghh, you just _had_ to spoil my fantasy, didn't you?" he grumbled as she giggled and went into the bathroom to change.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, face freshly scrubbed and moisturized and changed into his normal black shirt and jeans, Damon sat opposite Elijah aka Mr. Reporter in the hall, both smiling politely but awkwardly at each other until Elena joined them carrying a tray of drinks for them all. Fresh orange juice for Elijah and herself, and blackstrap molasses tea for Damon to help with his healing process.<p>

"Hey, so what were you both talking about?" she asked as looked from her husband to her mentor, and back again, noticing the strain on Damon's face.

"The weather," they both answered at the same time.

"Oh, ummm...how interesting. Maybe it's time we tell Damon about the story we're working on," she cast a warning look at Elijah, who nodded stiffly. He was still uncomfortable revealing his 'hand' to a suspect, who Damon was...to him, but then again, it wasn't fair to Elena who had to keep such a secret from her own husband.

"I was planning to write an exposé on corporate espionage, and our _research_ is based on _your_ company," Elijah paused, as if he was waiting for a reaction from the man across from him. When he received none, he surged ahead. "Rosalyn informed me about the case, between Lockwood and your ex, and so I enlisted Elena's help to help me to uncover the real truth behind all the lost projects to Lockwood Industries and whether or not Katherine was the mole behind everything."

Damon's eyes narrowed as he listened to his explanation of the story. His mother informed _him_? Why would his own mother reveal the problems of his family business to an outsider? She wasn't one that would air out dirty laundry to anyone, unless she had a good reason for it; but what was the reasoning behind this decision of hers?

"Why would you need Elena's help? She has nothing to do with this case and if you needed an insider, why didn't you come to _me_ directly?"

"Because I'm _nothing_ if not thorough, and I take my stories seriously. I think of an investigation from _every_ angle, every suspect should be investigated fully before they are released from the list, and you, Damon Salvatore, are in the top three of most likely suspect!" The reporter announced emphatically as if Damon would be impressed with his work ethics.

"You suspected _me_? But _I'm_ the victim here; it's _my_ company that's being ripped off. Doesn't that clear my name at least?" he sounded genuinely surprised at this unexpected news.

"Yes, indeed it is your company that is the victim, but you are also the one who is most likely to gain from profiting since Katherine's your fiancée at the time. Incidentally, the company wasn't _yours_, but your father's. It's also common knowledge that he chose an outsider over his own son as the Managing Director, so you had a motive for revenge. You could have used Katherine to handle all the subterfuge requirements to keep your name out of the loop when really, _you're_ the mastermind behind it all. Perhaps it was for revenge or perhaps it was for money. Either way, if you _were_ the mastermind, you would stand to gain a _lot_ of money. Do it long enough, you'd be able to buy and sell your own father!" Elijah lifted an eyebrow, as if challenging him to disagree with his assessment.

"So _if_, according to you, I was such a suspicious character, then why would you tell me all this now? Wouldn't that be compromising your integrity as an investigative reporter? The Elijah Smith that I've heard of wouldn't just back down from a story or a lead for nothing. Did you find some evidences that cleared my name?" Damon was curious to know why this man in front of him was now frowning as if he's trying to figure out how honest he could be to the Executive Director of the company that was in trouble. Then, he noticed that Elena had also stiffened beside him and regarding Elijah with an inquisitive look on her face.

"You can thank your wife for that. She said that she trusted you and I trusted _her_, so I agreed to let her tell you the truth. She didn't want to give you any reason to doubt her for spending so much time with me and so here we are, sitting here and talking about the case openly. And now that you know, we hope that you'll work with Elena to crack this case wide open, starting with Katherine and some 'misplaced' information about your current projects. If the information that we planted gets to Lockwood, then you'll know for sure that she's the mole. Also, you'll need to involve Caroline Forbes into our little circle of trust. She happens to know Tyler Lockwood who just recently joined Lockwood Industries. We need eyes and ears on the inside, and he's our best bet," Elijah leaned back when he was done talking, taking a deep breath in anticipation of Damon's objection. He wasn't disappointed.

"What? No! No, no, no, no. And did I mention? No! Leave my wife and Caroline out of this! I'll work with you all you want, but I will not allow my girls to be involved in _any_ of this. Elena can give me some ideas, and I'd listen, but no more! Elena," he turned to face his silent wife his expression stern, "tell him you're not playing any part in this. Go on, tell him!" She just continued to look at him silently, her gaze beseeching.

"This is actually _her_ story, not mine. I'm just acting as a mentor; the article is hers, with her name on the byline. This story will launch her career as a journalist, Damon, even before she finished graduating. This will practically secure her entire future, surely you would support her?" Elijah threw the question to the infuriated man who was shooting daggers at him.

"Absolutely not! _I'm_ her future, not this-this story! The Lockwoods are not going to just sit idly by waiting for us to uncover evidences to incriminate them. They will fight dirty and they will do everything in their power to stop us! And I don't want Elena or Caroline to get tangled in all that mess. She's pregnant, Elijah! _And_, she's a teenager! I sure as hell won't allow her to risk anything just to get a byline on some paper! You can go ahead and ask someone else to do the dirty work, Elijah! Hell, I'll pay to hire a team of private investigators if you want, but Elena is off limits! You hear me?" By now, Damon was standing as he slammed his fist on the dining table, the sound made Elena flinch as she stood up and placed her hand on Damon's arm to get his attention.

"Damon, I need to speak to you alone. Elijah, will you please excuse us?" she flashed an apologetic look at her mentor, and at his nod, she tugged a reluctant Damon's arm with her into the kitchen. "Damon, please," she implored, pulling him into the Proposal Pantry for some privacy.

* * *

><p>"Elena, you can forget about it! I won't allow it!" he exclaimed as soon as the door shut behind him. He folded his arms across his chest in an act of defiance.<p>

"Allow it? I don't recall _asking_ for your permission," she challenged back, her stubborn streak making an appearance. She sighed at the sight of his tense jaw. "Listen to me, Damon. I'm doing this because I _want_ to, not because Elijah asked me to, or to get my name on an article in the papers. I want to help you to get your company back from the people who are destroying your life. Do you expect me to just sit back and do nothing when they're hurting you? These people need to be exposed, Damon, or they'd get away with it all," she pled.

"I agree, and that's why I'll hire some people to investigate this. I appreciate the thought of you helping me, and like I said before, we can talk about the case and any ideas you might have, but you're not going to get involved physically in any of it. I'm sorry, but this is something that I won't budge on, so you're gonna have to accept that," he replied firmly, narrowing his eyes suspiciously on her wide doe-eyes; her secret weapon that would make any man fall at her feet. "You can also stop with the Bambi eye-thing too, it's not going to work on me _this_ time."

"Is this how our marriage is going to be from now on? You don't approve of something I wanna do, and therefore I'm _forbidden_ to do it? You think you married a simple teenager who's going to do every single one of your bidding as if I'm some mindless twit?" He looked horrified at the conclusion she was drawing from his adamant refusal in letting her help him, but before he could utter a word to deny expecting her to act as a submissive wife, she forged ahead with her ranting.

"Well, I'm _not_! Katherine humiliated me on our wedding day and I'd do anything to make sure she goes down for the crimes she has committed by my own hand. She made her bed, now I want to make sure she lies in it! She thinks she's got her claws on you and your father, but I want to look into her eyes when I have enough evidence and I want to watch her eyes when she realizes that she lost everything! I'm doing this not only because I want her to know that you would never leave our family for her, but because I'm fighting for _you_ too! Can't you see that? Did you know that your mother asked me why I wasn't fighting to keep you during that night at the fundraiser? And I realized _then_ that I was just sitting back helplessly and watching you slip away from me. So, I'm fighting for you, Damon, for what's yours and eventually, for our baby's. Most of all, I remembered how proud you were of me when I stood up for myself against Katherine that night, so why can't you be proud of me now and support my decision?"

He was speechless as he listened to her impassioned speech, his head reeling by the fact that his own mother supported Elena's role to help him. That was the night that he noticed a change in Elena towards him. And since then, she had begun to open herself up a bit more until now. That change in her, perhaps the feeling of empowerment that she was doing something to fight back against his ex, was the reason he's so happy to finally have the relationship with her that he'd wanted all along.

"Elena," he said softly, his heart constricted at the thought of how selfless she could be to help him. "I _am_ proud of you, and I'm happy that you're willing to fight for me. I can understand that you wanted to be hands-on in this investigation; I know I would want to get to the bottom of things too if you were ever in the same situation. Perhaps we can negotiate, you know, meet in the middle. I'll hire a team who will act on _your_ instructions and you leave the heavy-lifting to them. But I don't want anyone to know of your involvement in this, not until everything's over, if at all. I'm seriously worried for you _and_ our son. You shouldn't be so stressed when you're pregnant, and you need a lot of rest as you go farther along in your pregnancy. You can handle this case all you want, but only remotely, nothing up close and personal and you can also forget about meeting with Elijah without me ever again. I swear the guy just wants to get into your pants! Now, can you accept _that_?" he asked, his voice gentling significantly, feeling touched beyond anything that she'd made the decision to give him another chance even _before_ he'd dared to hope. He only started hoping when they were at the ultrasound together with Dr. Flirty, _another_ guy who wanted to get into her pants. Even pregnant, his wife was entirely too attractive for his liking. He was going to have to keep looking over his shoulders for her growing list of admirers.

"Daughter," she said suddenly, startling him from his insecure thoughts.

"What?" he asked, utterly confused as he had forgotten what he was saying a minute ago.

"You said that you were worried about me and our _son_. It's our daughter, and don't you ever forget it," she murmured as she reached up to kiss him softly, her arms around his neck as he grinned down at her.

"Let's just agree to disagree on that," he smiled and then his lips were on hers again, this time robbing her of breath.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, they emerged from the kitchen - face-flushed, short of breath, hair mussed - to find Elijah in the living room, flicking through various channels on their TV as he kept himself occupied.<p>

"Umm, sorry about that, Elijah, we were working out our differences," Elena smiled sheepishly as he glanced over at her and noticed her recently ravished glow. He smirked sarcastically and turned back to the TV as if it wasn't obvious what else they were doing besides 'working out their differences'.

"I assumed you both came to an agreement?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yes, we decided to hire our own team of investigators who will report only to me, and I will work from behind the scenes. I think that's a win-win situation all around," Elena justified.

"If you make sure that they sign a confidentiality agreement beforehand and make sure that they cannot be bought by Mason Lockwood, then by all means, go ahead. But the issue of Tyler Lockwood cannot be avoided, and therefore, so is the issue of Caroline Forbes. _That_ particular relationship requires the personal touch that no private investigator will be able to replace, so I suggest that you both brief her on her role as soon as possible. If everything is clear, then I will take my leave and leave you two to enjoy the rest of the afternoon without the threat of me trying to get into Elena's pants," he said drily as he glanced at the embarrassed Elena and the frank appraisal of Damon's. He stood up and buttoned his coat and nodded to both of them as he made his way to the front doors.

"Hold on a minute," Damon spoke suddenly, his arm reaching out to tap on his shoulder, making him pause as he was reaching for the door. "Obviously, my mother trusts you and so does my wife, so I will trust you as well, to a certain extent. But I'm curious to know what's in it for you? Why the personal interest in this particular story? I don't think it's strictly professional; otherwise it'd be _your_ name on the article. But you've spent as much time setting everything up and advising Elena. I don't believe for a second that it was because my mother asked you to or that you're a mentor to Elena. No, it's more than that. It's _personal_ to you, and I want to know why," Damon's intense blue eyes studied the impeccably-dressed man, the wheels of his mind spinning, trying to figure out any possible reasons for him to be so invested in this particular case.

"Perhaps it is, but it doesn't matter, does it? All that matters is that you find the people responsible for your company's problems and that will be all," he replied vaguely, adding to Damon's doubt of his intentions.

"No, Damon's right. You said to me before we started that you had a personal reason to want Katherine and Mason Lockwood to go down in flames. You said that you'd tell me one day, but you never did. Just tell me now, Elijah. If we're all going to work together, then we have to be honest with each other, right?" Elena insisted, and she saw Elijah hesitate, no doubt having an internal battle with himself to expose the cards he held so close to his chest.

"All right," he sighed finally and agreed. "It's no secret that Lockwood is not well-liked in the community, and after they pretty much push people around for their own gain and resorting to dirty tricks for profits, well, I'm not exactly a fan of theirs. I want what everybody wants; to see the Lockwoods' reign destroyed once and for all. As for Katherine, well, she's more of the personal reason that I want her to pay for her crimes." He paused and turned around to stare out the window with a faraway look in his eyes. It seemed as if he was drudging up suppressed memories as his jaws tightened as an indication.

"You see, I was in love with her once."

* * *

><p><strong>Anyone of you saw that coming? Hmm, there's a bit of a history between Elijah and Katherine, much like it was on the show. <strong>

**It's so hard to keep the element of surprise in my story since you are all so great at guess works and you all probably know me better than even my own family by now. **

**A reviewer called it my curve-balls and how I'll keep trying to mess you guys up, happy and flirty one minute, and then emotional and heavy the next. At least, I hope that's what I'm doing. **

**So, how did you like "Conversations with Damon's twitching member" chapter?**

**As usual, like it, love it, or hate it, READ AND REVIEW please. Appreciate it!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks again to those 21 people who reviewed and those that added my story to your alerts/favourites, etc. **

**I'm ignoring those who didn't review! HMMPF! Damon and his twitching member is also upset that they didn't get anywhere _near_ to the 38 reviews that Chapter 17 got! In retaliation, Damon's member is on strike and refuses to come out and play. See what you guys did? **

**But I do appreciate all of you who _did_ read the chapter, though...so I'm upset, but then grateful. I'm upsateful! Sigh!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20: Acting 101<strong>

"You see, I was in love with her once." Elijah had said of his past with Katherine Pierce.

There was total silence for a long moment immediately following his statement. Both Damon and Elena were gaping at the man in front of them with wide unblinking eyes and expressions of disbelief.

"You were in _love_ with the bitch with the acidic cooter?" breathed Elena.

"_You_ were in love she-who-must-not-be-named?" breathed Damon, shooting a sideways glance at his wife since she was the one who named _her_ that.

Elijah sighed as he nodded wearily. "Me _and_ my brother both did. We were both too young to see her for what she really was; a 'Dementor'* who sucked the happiness out of everyone who ever knew her. We didn't realize that she was involved with _both_ of us at the same time, playing us against each other until it destroyed our bond of brotherhood. My brother and I, we haven't spoken to one another since she upped and left us without a single word. We gave her everything she wanted; money, attention, our hearts, and our loyalty. My brother and I fought over her, to the point where it tore our whole family apart and our father to disown us. But I would have gladly risked everything for her, even if I never saw my family again. But as soon as I lost everything, she left. She just...left! The next time I heard of her, she had already moved on to another guy, and then another, until...you." He turned around and looked directly at Damon who felt nothing but sympathy for the reporter now.

"She's a black widow, that one. You're lucky you got out of it fast; otherwise she would have made sure that you lost everything and everyone you ever cared about. She does it for sport and for a challenge. I have no doubt at all that _she's_ the one creating all these trouble for your company. Why? Because she _can_. The only question we need to ask now is: Who else is in on this with her? That's what we're here to find out. I hope that answers your question about why I'm helping Elena with this. Katherine needs to pay for all she's done to hurt people who cared about her. And she needs to pay dearly," Elijah said in all seriousness.

Damon nodded solemnly, his heart reaching out to the man he had deemed as a threat because of Elena. Perhaps he had judged him too hastily; perhaps he was a kindred spirit with whom he could _actually_ be friends with. Perhaps...

Much to Elena and Damon's surprise, Elijah's lips tugged upwards at the corners as he seemed to be amused about something. "Damon, I really don't think you have anything to worry about my working relationship with Elena. Besides the fact that she obviously loves you, I've also sworn off all women since Katherine," he paused dramatically with a glint in his eye. "I'm gay, and I don't mean happy."

The silence was deafening. One could _actually_ hear the fluttering wings of a bird a mile away!

"Bullshit! You're as gay as _I_ am!" Damon suddenly burst out, his eyes narrowed on his smirking guest.

"If _that's_ true, then perhaps Elena could step away for a moment while _you and I_ 'work out our differences'," Elijah quipped, his teeth flashing as he grinned widely at Damon's slackened jaw. "Goodbye Elena. Do let me know when Caroline's on board," he reminded her and then he exited from the main doors in his usual flourish as he left the other two remaining to stare after him.

Elena giggled nervously as she turned towards her husband to see his reaction to Elijah's statement. Hearing her giggle, Damon turned his attention to her.

"I do _not_ permit you to see that man, ever again! He's obviously off his marbles!" he warned in a threatening voice. _Kindred spirit, my ass!_

"Well then, to prove how silly and unfair you're being, I just might take my _only_ gay friend bra-shopping with me soon!" she announced defiantly as she lifted her chin as a challenge.

"Elena, you wouldn't dare! I do not want you to go anywhere _near_ a bra with another guy, _especially_ dubiously gay ones like Elijah!" he bit out angrily, his eyes now narrowed almost to slits.

"My dear foolish husband, it's comments like those that makes me so tempted to rebel and go _underwear_ shopping with him," she pecked him on the cheek and gave her furious husband a playful grin before she headed upstairs. "You know what? I think I will! Do you think homosexuals like crotchless panties?" she called out over her shoulder as she ascended the staircase, oblivious to Damon's expression of horror as he clutched at his bruised ribs, the pain returning as an effect of his vivid imagination of his wife trying on panties with Mr. Reporter.

* * *

><p>After a quick follow-up check with Dr. Fell at the hospital, Damon was given the green light for travelling since his ribs were almost completely healed thanks to lots of therapeutic baths and cups of black molasses tea to speed up the healing process. So, their honeymoon to Italy was booked and they were scheduled to depart in three more days, giving them plenty of time to put Operation Caroline-Tyler into action.<p>

To Elena's great reluctance, Damon had planned to have a dinner at the Salvatore mansion with his parents, Stefan and Caroline. His parents had heard of Damon's latest run-in with John and Rosalyn was worried sick over her eldest son's health. She was also quite keen to see for herself the relationship between Damon and Elena, even though her informer aka Caroline had filled her in on the details. So, it was with great anticipation that Rosalyn hurried to greet them at the door upon their arrival.

"My dear girl, Elena! How have you been? And how's my grandson in there? You look positively glowing, my dear! Has Damon been treating you well?" She had rambled on excitedly as she enclosed her daughter-in-law in a tight hug, totally ignoring her own son who had his arms wide open and expecting her embrace first.

"Hey, what does a guy have to do to get some love around here?" Damon grumbled after a few more seconds of being ignored.

"Until I know for certain that Elena's hasn't been ill-treated in any way and when you carry my first grandchild in _your_ belly!" Rosalyn laughed as she then wrapped her arms around him and patted his back in an approving way. She seemed to be more expressive than usual; probably since she knew that they were somewhat back to being their former happy self before the whole catastrophic Katherine thing.

"I'm doing great, Rosalyn. Damon's been taking care of me and your _granddaughter," _Elena flashed a warning glance at Damon then,_ "_is also doing fine. I brought the ultrasound photo for you, here." She fished the photo from her bag and gave it to the future grandmother of her baby who ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the black and white photo.

Just then, all three of them heard an excited squeal and then Elena found herself wrapped in another tight hug from the typically exuberant Caroline, followed closely by Stefan who also greeted her in another hug.

"Guys? I'm standing right _here_! Would it kill you to at least acknowledge my presence instead of repeatedly squashing my son? If I didn't have a thick skin, I'd think that you actually prefer Elena than me," Damon complained again, when his own brother and so-called god-sister remained by Elena's side.

"Well, you're not wrong on _both_ counts, but what the hell – hey, Damon!" Caroline smiled broadly as she ruffled his raven locks in familiarity.

"Hey, hey! Watch the hair! I'm fond of you, Care but only my wife is allowed to do that. You have my permission to do that to Stef though," Damon teased as he combed his fingers through his unruly hair, watching in amusement as both Stefan and Caroline blushed at his suggestion.

"Umm, Elena! Come on, time for some girl talk," Caroline said in an attempt to sidetrack everyone from her red face and proceeded to pull Elena's hand towards the guest room upstairs. Elena allowed herself to be steered upstairs as she flashed a helpless look at the other three people who were still standing near the main doors.

"Son, are you all right? I was worried sick when I heard what that foul monster did to you that night. I cannot fathom how some people would do something like that; beating up their own son-in-law! That man should be locked up!" Rosalyn exclaimed as she ran her loving hands over Damon's shoulders and arms, as if looking for signs of any remaining bruises.

"I'm fine, Mother. Elena nursed me back to health faster than Dr. Fell ever could. It's nothing a little TLC couldn't handle. Where's the grumpy old man? I thought he's joining us for dinner?" Damon asked as he reached up to hold his mother's hands in his, reassuring her that he was fine.

"If you're referring to your father, he's in his study. He wants to talk to you before dinner, so you should see him now. But I must warn you, he's not in the best of mood," Rosalyn said as she patted his hand lovingly.

"When was he _ever_ in a good mood? I'll bet he's even in a sour mood the nights he managed to knock you up with me and little bro, wasn't he?" he chuckled lightly as he jumped away to avoid his mother's playful slap on his arm. "It's a good thing Stef and I didn't inherit his disposition, isn't that right, brother?"

"Yes, and I thank God for that. I cannot imagine frowning and looking all broody and in pain _every_ _single_ _day_," Stefan agreed.

"All right, time to face the firing squad! Tell Elena I love her if I don't make it out of there alive by dinner," Damon called over his shoulder as he took a deep breath before entering the study room to face his father.

* * *

><p>Giuseppe Salvatore sat in his study room in a foul mood as he waited for his eldest son to arrive with his wife. He shook his head in disappointment as he thought about his failed plans for his son. He was a rigid man who hated feeling like things were out of his control whenever they don't follow according to his plans, and Damon was the one thing he hadn't expected to ruin the plans he had with Nathan Pierce. He always thought that he could count on his son to obey his instructions and to be fair, he <em>did<em>; until he met the teenage brunette who came along and spoilt everything.

His head snapped up as he heard a knock and then the object of his musings entered the study, looking apprehensive to see him but contented, much to his displeasure.

"Father," Damon greeted when he approached the study table and shook his father's hand," you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I heard about your little run-in with John Gilbert the other night. I hope that taught you a lesson about getting involved with uncultured people like the Gilberts. They are a bunch of common riffraffs that have no respect for people who are far superior than they are. And it was _your_ mistake that we're now related by marriage to them. I hope that the next time you have a little 'indiscretion' you'd be more careful and don't get anyone pregnant like you did _this_ time," Giuseppe said as he glared at his son, who in turn looked angry as he pressed his lips together to refrain from yelling back at his father.

"It's only one Gilbert, _singular_, that is to be blamed for what happened to me. And I'm healing just fine, thank you for asking," Damon said sarcastically, inwardly rolling his eyes at the 'concern' his father showed him. "Please do not lump my wife in the same category as her father; they are two completely different people and she's far from being the 'uncultured' individual he is. And Father, regardless of what you might think of me, the failure you deemed me to be for not living up to your expectations, I'm extremely happy that I met Elena when I did and I do not regret the situation that brought us together. And I intend to be faithful to her, like I've always been when I'm in a monogamous relationship with _anyone_."

"Yes, well your mother and I raised you to put your family first before anything or _anyone_ else, and that means that the family business comes first. I expect you to live up to your duties as a loyal son and don't get distracted with other...issues. And what's this I heard about you going on a trip with the girl? You were given two-weeks to recuperate at home from your recent incident, but if you're well enough to go traipsing across the Atlantic Ocean, you're well enough to come back to work. Frankly, your working attitude has deteriorated ever since you married the girl. You haven't been as dedicated as you've always been; you're leaving the office earlier, and you haven't taken a single sick leave or a day off from work before all this. I knew my judgement was right in not making you the Managing Director of the company and promoted Nicholas instead. At least _he_ has remained committed," Giuseppe commented drily, attempting to guilt Damon into cancelling his Italy trip to focus on work instead.

Damon shook his head in disbelief at his father's audacity to blame everything on Elena and his unfair assessment of his work ethics.

"The _girl's_ name is Elena; I'd appreciate if you referred to her with her given name, seeing as she's your daughter-in-law. And you made Nic your MD before I ever met Elena, while I was working tirelessly every damned day to prove myself worthy to head the company. And you're absolutely right; I haven't taken a single day off from work ever since I joined the company, and now you expect me to feel guilty for taking a week off to go on my own honeymoon? I've _earned_ a week off, Father, and if you feel that I'm less committed just because of that, then there's nothing I can do about it. But I'm taking Elena to Italy for a week and that's final. I'm sure the company can still function without me since your 'committed' Nic is there for you to count on," Damon's voice was dripping with sarcasm as he stood up to leave, unable to tolerate his father's presence further. "And I agree with you; I was raised to be loyal to my family and to put them first. Well, Elena and my unborn son are my family now, too. Maybe you'd do well to accept that _fact_, Father."

"What about Katherine? Don't forget the deal we had with the Pierces, Damon!" Giuseppe bit out with rage evident on his face, unused to his son standing up to him and rebelling against his wishes.

"Katherine and her father can both rot in hell," he said calmly, his even voice giving nothing away of what he's feeling underneath his cool exterior. He turned to leave the tension-filled room but stopped when his father's clipped voice made a parting remark.

"Damon! Since you're stubbornly refusing to obey me, make sure you pass over all the projects you're handling to Nicholas before you depart to Italy. He'll follow-up on your behalf while you're gone. Surely, you have no objections to _that_? After all, he'll be doing _your_ job for you!"

Damon nodded his reluctant agreement without any further arguments and left his father seething in his seat. He closed the door and leaned back on the wall, feeling like he won a battle of wills against his father for the first time in history. It felt good, standing up for himself and for Elena. Guess her rebellious nature was beginning to rub off on him. He mentally gave himself a pat on the back before he went looking for his brother to share the good news of managing to piss off their father.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, upstairs in a quiet room, Caroline was regaling Elena with details of her first non-date date with Stefan during the fundraiser and the knowledge that he was apparently dating other blonde girls he met randomly.<p>

"Nothing happened!" she had exclaimed when Elena enquired about the night of the fundraiser. "We hardly even spent time together since we were both so super busy with everything going on that night. And he hasn't asked me out since then. I don't think he will. Ric said some hot blonde was interested in Stefan and I think he's dating her now. Apparently, she gave him her number, I mean, how desperate was _that_?" she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Maybe he just wants to make you jealous, you know, to force a reaction out of you so that he knows that he has a chance with you. Stefan doesn't strike me as someone who flirts and date around unless he's really interested in the girl. Even if he's dating with her, I doubt that he's sleeping with her. He doesn't seem to be _that_ guy, Care," Elena reassured her friend, who nodded in agreement.

'Yeah, he's not Damon, is he? Oh my God, I shouldn't have said that, I'm so sorry," Caroline said, mentally kicking herself as she saw her face fell.

"It's fine. I-I know Damon has a long history of girls. Can you tell it to me straight, Care? Do you know how many other girls he has dated before Katherine?" She asked, hoping that her blabber-mouth friend would be able to provide more insight to Damon's past than he was willing to share.

"Dated? Probably twenty plus. Slept with? I don't know, it's hard to keep track when he's the male equivalent of a slut. Probably more than eighty, less than a hundred. Imagine one new girl a day for about 3 months' period. Don't get me wrong; he doesn't have sex every _single_ night! Just average it out, because he started having sex at quite an early age. But you don't have anything to worry about; I've never known him to cheat on any of his girlfriends before. He's pretty committed when he's in a relationship. And I know that he loves you, and he's a grown man now who can control his sexual urges. And he has you now, so I wouldn't worry about the past, Elena. Why, are you worried that he'd stray? Because trust me, he won't," the blonde said, her tone of voice incredibly confident even though she just labelled him as a male slut.

"No, I trust him not to cheat on me, but it's just that I'm worried that I'm not experienced enough to keep up with his...his...expectations. You know, sexually. He was my first, and I'm not so experimental to do weird stuff, but I do want to make him happy. I'm sorry if I'm creeping you out with talks about our sex life, but you're the one I can talk to about this, and you've known him your whole life," Elena admitted in a small voice, clearly uncomfortable to discuss this openly to a woman she just met over two months ago. But she had a feeling that Caroline could be trusted with matters of such sensitive nature.

"Yes, I _have_ known him my whole life and I've never seen him the way he is with you. Look, what's past is past. There's no sense dwelling on it and I'm sure you make him happy in lots of different ways. Your relationship is still in its infancy stage, so you'll both discover things about each other as time goes on. It takes time to build experiences, and I'm sure you'll both learn together. Just be confident and don't be afraid to try new things. I know sex can be so much better when two people feel the same for each other, especially when they are in love. In fact, I really envy your relationship. I mean, not the initial uncomfortable platonic phase, but _now_ when you're both just so open and comfortable. I wish one day I can have with Stefan what you have with Damon."

"You can, Care, I'm sure of it. In fact, you'll be even better since you've known each other for so long. I just wish that you both can just open up and be honest without pretending to not notice how you feel for each other. Who knows, you'd probably already be planning your own wedding!" Elena smiled as she watched Caroline's face glowed with happiness at the thought of being married to her childhood crush.

"I would _love_ to plan my own wedding! In fact, with your wedding over and the fundraiser done, I'm out of projects! I'm so freaking bored right now that the only thing I look forward to is helping you get things ready for the baby. I can help you plan the nursery, buy all the baby stuff that you'd need, shopping for maternity clothes and maybe even help you research all the sexual stuff to blow Damon's brains out! We can watch porn the whole day!" Caroline exclaimed excitedly at the prospect of a new project to undertake. Of course, she didn't mention 'Operation Delena – Marriage Rescue' she had going on with the others.

"Umm, I appreciate the thought, but I'm not sure I can stomach watching porn with you. No offense, Care, but I find that to be a little too personal for my taste, not to mention incredibly embarrassing. If you're looking for a project, then I may have one for you, but you have to promise me that you'll keep it a secret. Like _promise_ me, the cross-your-heart, hope-to-die kind of promise," Elena said dramatically, knowing it would peak Caroline's interest since she's unable to refrain herself from a good mystery.

"Oh God, it sounds intriguing! I promise! Do tell, Elena," her eyes were wide with unrestrained curiosity as she leaned in closer and closer until she practically at the edge of her seat.

"Okay, I'm currently working on a case with Elijah Smith, the reporter?" she paused, about to launch into an explanation of who Elijah was in case Caroline didn't know, but from her shocked gasp, it was safe to assume that she knew exactly who he was. "Damon is in on it too, since the case is about Katherine and Mason Lockwood. You already know about Salvatore Industries' recent troubles, right? And that Damon suspected that Katherine and the Lockwoods are in cohorts. So, we're conducting an investigation on our own to try to prove that they are the culprits behind everything. Basically, we wanted to prove that Katherine is the mole, and that the Lockwoods are guilty too. Now, there's a Tyler Lockwood that recently joined the company under his uncle. Is that name familiar to you in anyway?" Elena asked hopefully.

"Yes! I knew Tyler when we were in the same school! What a small world! So you think that Tyler might know something that can tie Katherine to the Lockwoods? Do you think he's a part of the whole thing? Do you want me to sneak into their office and take some photos of some documents or whatever? Ooh, I can buy those gears where I'm suspended from the ceiling and then lowered down to a desk without touching any surface, kinda like what Tom Cruise did in Mission Impossible. Oh, I'd look hot in black! I can go _shopping_! Hmm, I wonder where I can get those spy gears, you know. Maybe I can call up Tom Cruise and ask him," Caroline rambled on as she let her imagination ran away from her.

"Care! You are not doing anything of the sort! We're not breaking into Lockwood Industries or doing anything illegal! I'm just hoping that since you know Tyler, you can get in touch with him, and start to hang out with him, while _very_ subtly question him about any information he might have on Katherine or anything related to the projects that Damon's company is working on. In fact, let _him_ tell you what he knows instead of asking him outright. He mustn't know about your involvement with the Salvatores at all, so must not say anything that might rouse his suspicion. Just give a few pointed hints here and there and build your relationship; get _him_ to trust you enough to tell you stuff. But the moment he suspects anything, you back off, okay? I don't want you getting into trouble for this," Elena worried, knowing full well how over-the-top Caroline can be once she sets her mind to do something.

"Relax, Elena. I know what to do! I took an acting class in college and I've always wanted to be an actress when I grow up. I just don't like memorizing scripts. I just need to get into character for this part I'm playing. It's a pity I can't be someone other than myself since Tyler already knows me," Caroline said as she contemplated dreamily.

"Hmm, the character I'd create just for this role would have been perfect to play the innocent and yet sneaky girl to help her friends gain valuable information for the good of mankind! She would have risked her life to save the world - well, the world of Salvatore Industries anyway- and will stop at nothing until she gains the trust of the _one_ person who holds the key to cracking this case wide open! She'd be honoured in history as the brave girl who managed to go undercover at her own peril, dodging bullets and running from the mafia. She shall be named as Carmen...Carmen Hope! But alas, that was not to be as I can only appear as boring old Caroline who went to high school with the subject. But fear not! The new and improved Caroline will be charming, witty and irresistible to the former jock who had a crush on her, the head cheerleader. He won't be able to resist her and he'll fall right under her spell, divulging secrets he never even knew he had. This Caroline will have a sad and awful back story, like she was raised by an uncle who's really her abusive father, and that she hasn't known real love before. She shows a brave face to the world, but on the inside, she's a lonely and an unloved girl who is secretly afraid that she'd never find love. Hmm, Caroline also needs a completely new wardrobe too! So, what do you think, Elena?"

"An uncle who's an abusive father?" Elena raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Sounds kinda familiar! How you wanna play this up to you, Care, but do try to restrain yourself from using _everything_ you learned from your Acting 101 class! It doesn't have to be as dramatic as you made it sound. I'm sure Tyler Lockwood would be happy just to meet up with a familiar face from his schooling days. Just be careful, okay? Tyler may not be dangerous, but his uncle _might_ be. They stand to lose a lot of money, reputation and even get some jail time if they are found guilty, so Damon and I, we're being really careful in letting people know that we're investigating this. It's all hush-hush, and no one other than the four of us knows. Not even Stefan, okay?" she warned quietly as she knew Caroline's lack of ability to keep any secret for long. That was why it was a risk to involve her in this, but Elijah had thought that it was necessary and who was she to question his methods? She only hoped and prayed that the new and improved Caroline character aka Caroline 2.0 had _some_ control and be able to keep her mouth shut.

"Don't worry, I've got this! I can do this, Elena. Trust me. I was born for this sort of thing. Besides, I _really_ want to help Damon and see Katherine behind bars for her sins as retribution for what she did to you on your wedding night. I really hated that bitch, and so I will not fail you and Damon. I just have _one_ question before we go down for dinner," Caroline said.

"What is it, Care?" Elena stiffened as her friend regarded her with a serious expression.

"On a scale of one to ten, how _hot_ is Elijah Smith in reality?"

Elena shook her head as she heaved a sigh of relief. Trust Caroline to focus on such trivial matters! "He's an eight, but I have to warn you, he's gay!"

"_What_? NOOOOOOO!" Caroline groaned as she closed her eyes in disappointment.

* * *

><p><strong>The return of Rosalyn and Giuseppe, and some plot updates regarding Tyler. How dramatic was Caroline in this chapter? *rolls eyes*<strong>

**And our Damon is such a big boy now, all manly and standing up to his father!**

**Next up: Honeymoon! (At the risk of Damon's twitchy member that's on strike and refusal to perform – so you guys better get REVIEWING!) *snicker***

**As usual, like it, love it, or hate it, READ AND REVIEW please. Appreciate it!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, Damon's twitching member is somewhat mollified, not exactly jumping for joy yet, but at least it's responding to gentle persuasion. No sudden movements, guys!**

**I'm glad you guys aren't angry that I made Elijah gay...it just had to be done! For Damon's sake.**

**Someone asked me for my twitter account, and I must warn you that I'm not that active on twitter, but I do log-on once in a while, so if you want, you can add me and we can 'chat'. My twitter name is cgsa_cher **

**Here you are; the long-awaited chapter on their honeymoon...hope you guys like it!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 21: Flight<strong>

While Damon made a brief stop at his office to hand over his current projects to Nicholas Mikaelson to follow-up during his absence, Caroline had insisted and dragged the reluctant Elena out for some much-needed shopping spree to cater for her expanding waist and honeymoon-appropriate clothes.

"Care, please! I just need some looser clothes and new bras. Let's not go overboard here! I don't have much money and I'll still need to buy maternity clothes when I get bigger. Besides, my stomach is so bloated and I don't feel particularly sexy enough to pull off some of the clothes in here," Elena whined as she looked around at the dozens of revealing outfits her friend had picked out for her.

"Don't be silly! You look great! Your stomach is barely even showing unless you're wearing really tight clothes and I can't believe that you're even worrying about money! When are you going to realize that you're married to one of the most successful and richest guys in New York and let yourself enjoy a little redistribution of wealth? Come on, Elena, clothing is a _necessity_! It's practically on the _very_ first tier of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs; right next to food, water, air and sex!" Caroline exclaimed with a pleading look.

"Wow, Care! That _almost_ sounded convincing!" Elena rolled her eyes in exasperation but made the wise decision to give in anyway; otherwise it would take more effort to stand there arguing with her than to spend the next three hours shopping. "Okay, one dress, one shirt, and a new pair of jeans. That's all, right? _Right_?"

"We'll see! Stop being so stressed out! Shopping is supposed to be therapeutic and enjoyable, and you don't look like you even _want_ to be here," the blonde said as she turned back to the task at hand – pulling out various items of clothing that she deemed suitable for her pregnant friend.

"I just don't like shopping, especially with someone else's money. There's nothing here that particularly stands out for me and I'm really bad at the whole fashion trends thingy. I'm not like you, Care. You're naturally talented in everything!" Elena flashed an admiring look at her friend who really did have a natural flair at looking great in whatever apparel she was wearing.

"I think you're being weird. _All_ girls like shopping and those who don't, there's something seriously wrong with them. I'll tell you what, do you trust me? If you do, then you go out and have some ice cream or whatever and I'll do your shopping _for_ you. I know, I'm a fantastic friend. I just wish that Bonnie was here with me so that at least _one_ person would have the right amount of enthusiasm for clothes," Caroline sighed dramatically as if she was doing a huge favor for Elena, but in reality, she was being given full reign to do what she loves best. "Just leave your credit card with me; I'm sure I can forge your signature."

"Thanks, Care, and you are an _amazing_ friend! I do trust you, in fact, you were the one who showed up at the hotel room with plenty of clothes and accessories for me and Jenna, remember? But can you promise me not to go too crazy? Remember, one dress, one shirt and jeans. That's it," Elena reminded her, feeling genuinely worried that she would end up maxing out the credit card given by Damon.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time! Now go, before you spoil my shopping mood with all this negativity and restrictions! Honestly, Elena, you're a worse shopping buddy than the guys I know. I'll call you when I'm done," Caroline huffed as she firmly pushed her out of the shop and gave her a cheerful wave before she disappeared back intothe sea of clothes.

Elena found herself wandering around aimlessly in the huge shopping complex, unsure of her next destination. She was excited to go on this Italy trip with Damon, partly because she would get to see her brother Jeremy whom she had missed so much, and partly also because this would be the first time that she would really be alone with Damon without _any_ of their friends popping by unexpectedly and there wouldn't be distractions like work – for him – or case investigation – for her. She could just forget about everything in their lives and just focus on spending time getting to know each other.

People say that a person's true self will be revealed when they go on a holiday together; based on how they act and how flexible they can be. People with different interests would not have much fun together unless one of them was accommodating or obliging enough. A new couple's relationship would be tested and it should be interesting to see whether she and Damon would be able to advance further in their relationship or perhaps they might not even be on speaking terms by the time they returned home.

She walked around, completely engrossed in her own thoughts when she caught sight of a baby's photo through a glass window display. She was standing in front of a massive baby store, with rows after rows of various baby-related items from strollers to toys and even cradles. She was enraptured as she hesitantly entered the brightly lit store, surrounded by couples and women who were at varying stages of pregnancies.

Now feeling appropriately excited, she explored every aisle, touching everything in sight, gazing in wonder at the various baby items, some she recognized while some were completely foreign to her. She wished that Damon was with her now as they both make this discovery together. Was it too early to furnish the nursery for their future child? She had no idea about the sex of the baby yet, though she'd like to think that it was a girl. She felt it.

She entered another aisle but was brought up short at the sight of a young couple with a toddler standing in the middle span. The young woman was pregnant and she stood smiling down at her fair-haired daughter as her husband knelt down to tie up her shoelaces. Then he stood up, pressed a kiss on his squealing daughter's cheek and another one on his wife's lips, then they both held on to the little girl's hands; one on each side as they walked towards Elena, smiling at her as they passed, a vision of a happy family that she desperately wanted for herself. Her eyes followed somewhat enviously at the family, her gaze never wavering until they disappeared around the corner. Right there and then, she knew that that's what she wanted with Damon. It was then that it hit her that it was all possible; happiness was within her reach and it was all coming true. Joy exploded in her heart right there on aisle five of World of Babies.

Her phone rang suddenly, snapping her out of her pleasant daydream. It was Caroline. She couldn't have been done shopping! She pressed the green button to answer.

"Caroline? I can't believe you're done already! You _are_ done, aren't you?"

"Yeah, it didn't take as long as I expected; I've _only_ been shopping for three hours. I only stopped because your card's maxed out," she said.

_What? Three hours? Maxed out? That was impossible! The credit card had a limit of fifty thousand dollars! _

"What the hell, Caroline Forbes? It _can't_ be maxed out! You can't have spent fifty thousand dollars on clothes in _three_ hours! Damon's gonna kill me!" Elena exclaimed, panicking at the thought of Damon's reaction when he found out about this.

"Relax, Elena! I was kidding about the card...ish! Well, the truth is that the bank did call Damon up for unusual activity with your card, so they blocked it temporarily. So, Damon called _me_, I guess he assumed that I was the one who was using it since you have no clue on how to spend money. I told him what it was for and he approved everything, so you're in the clear! Stop worrying!" Caroline said, and Elena could just imagine the blonde rolling her eyes at her reaction.

"So you didn't use up the limit? How much did you spend anyway? It couldn't have been more than two hundred dollars, right? But then, why would the bank call up if it's for two hundred? Caroline? What did you buy and how much did it cost me?" Elena's voice was raised by now; extremely worried that she couldn't afford to pay Damon back.

"Ummm, it's a little bit more than two hundred dollars. Look, I bought some stuff for myself too, you know, for my character when I meet with Tyler Lockwood. I can't meet him looking too fabulous, otherwise I can't pull off the whole innocent girl with a tortured past. Besides, it's only fair that Damon paid for it since I _am_ helping him and his company after all. So anyway, Damon said to tell you that he'll swing by to pick you up in ten minutes, and I'll sort out everything I bought for us and pack your suitcase for you before you leave for Italy tomorrow. I'll handle _everything_ for you, okay, you don't have to worry about anything except to get plenty of rest before your honeymoon. I don't think you're gonna get _any_ sleep while you're there, Elena," she giggled loudly.

"Care, what about my toiletries, make-up, shoes, underwear and all that? Don't I need to pack those too?"

"Nope! Like I said, I'll handle everything for you. Now, I'm gonna get all these bags home with me and make sure that you're at the south entrance in five. I'm giving you guys a lift to the airport tomorrow night so I'll pass you your luggage then. Oh and Elena, you have an appointment at my beauty salon at Madison Avenue later at 3. They already know what to do for you, so just enjoy yourself and try not to scream too loud! Okay, toodles!" Caroline announced jovially and quickly hung up before Elena could ask her why she'd scream. Ughh, whatever the reason was, it didn't sound encouraging – in fact it sounded downright painful!

* * *

><p>After a quick lunch, Damon dropped a reluctant Elena off at the beauty salon as per Caroline's instructions while he set about meeting a reputable 'Investigation Specialist' company to hire a team for the case. He was eager to get the investigation started so that he could put the whole mess behind him. Needless to say, the quicker the case was solved, the quicker the Pierces, Lockwoods and Elijah Smith got out of his family's lives.<p>

He already had his lawyer draft up a Confidentiality Agreement between the company along with the individual investigators involved and Elena and himself. Despite his reluctance for Elena to get involved in any of it, he thought that it was better that she got involved with his knowledge, rather than for her to go behind his back due to that stubborn streak of hers. After all, he understood her determination to get involved perfectly; he'd insist on doing the exact same thing if their roles were reversed.

An hour later, feeling satisfied that he'd found a professionally adept company to handle everything discreetly – at the risk of being sued for a lot of money for malpractice should any of the suspects get wind of this investigation – he had given them the green light to start their research on the background of all parties concerned. He was even willing for them to set up bugs at his own apartment seeing as Katherine now occupied it, no doubt shacking up with Mason Lockwood, if they were in fact still together; or if his manhood hadn't already been melted off by Katherine.

As part of the plan to undermine Katherine's trustworthiness, Damon had couriered a so-called 'private and confidential' document addressed to himself to his apartment address detailing the tender price for a Project Vitrox. Damon was the only one in his company to know about the fake documents; he put the tender price to be five million more than what he was actually planning for. Hopefully, Katherine would open the document and relay the contents to Mason who would try to outbid his company by a small margin, only to be completely fooled when the tender is awarded to the Salvatore Corporation. God, he'd loved to see the reaction on Lockwood's face when he found out that Katherine tricked him. To make sure that Katherine opened the couriered document, he sent a text message to her earlier that day to expect a courier for him, and that it shouldn't be opened as it contained sensitive information crucial to a project. If that didn't ensure that she'd snoop around, then he didn't know what will.

And so, it was with high spirits that he drove over to pick up Elena at the salon, only to narrow his eyes in concern when he pulled up in front of the building to find her waddling uncomfortably and her face extremely pale. He would have found it funny if he weren't so concerned over what happened to her as she winced and tried to manoeuvre herself clumsily to sink down to the passenger seat beside him, ending up almost turning turtle on her face.

"What's wrong? Is it the baby? Are you in pain?" he asked as soon as she managed to sit upright.

"No," she shook her head, but her face remained expressionless. "It's Caroline. _She's_ going to be in so much pain, I'm not even joking!"

"Why? What did she do?" he asked in concern, attempting to think of a likely reason that his god-sister was responsible for his wife to walk funnily, and obviously in a little bit of pain.

"What _didn't_ she do? She arranged for me to have a-a-a...wax session," she whispered the last two words, as if they were unthinkable.

"Oh," Damon frowned in confusion when it didn't sound that bad. Lots of women got themselves waxed these days, they didn't seem to have the sort of reaction Elena's having. In truth, he knew for a fact that Katherine went for waxing sessions every month so that she'd have smooth legs and armpits to go with her skimpy outfits that she seemed unable to live without. He should know; he paid for all of them.

"Where? Legs, upper lips, armpits, brows? Surely they don't hurt _that_ bad?" he glanced at her expression as he commented, only to have her shooting a deadly glare at him.

"No bikini line, no opinion! And yes, it _does_ hurt that bad! I feel like my whole...area is on fire!" she snapped.

His jaw dropped as she mentioned bikini line, and his eyes wandered down to her jean-clad thighs as if he could imagine her 'tidied up' down there. He swallowed audibly as he returned his lust-filled eyes to her face, but she didn't notice as she was still sulking.

"B-bikini line? Did-what-what kind did you get?" he stammered shakily, secretly hoping that she'd say what he wanted to hear.

"What _difference_ does it make? I still have to walk like a penguin!" she huffed as she continued glaring out the window at the entrance of the building. "Caroline ordered me a _full_ Brazilian wax, okay? I am _completely_ bare, hairless, smooth, naked-"

Damon groaned huskily as his control snapped and he leaned over his seat to grab Elena's head and brought her lips to meet his. She was caught off-guard and was confused for a moment, so she didn't immediately respond when his tongue entered between her lips, kissing her hungrily, lustily until she pushed him away and stared at him in shock.

"Damon! My skin is aching and red and possibly swollen, and you're _aroused_? I have a mind to wax _you_ down there and see how you like it then! Uggh, can we go home now? My jeans are rubbing me raw and I _really_ want to take them off," she complained moodily.

"I'm sorry but the thought of your...skin all silky smooth and pink makes me feel like I wanna do naughty things to you. I know that the doc said I should take it easy for a couple of days, but ummm, do you wanna, ummm, make love tonight? _Gently_?" he asked nervously with a hopeful tone in his voice.

"What? I don't even know if it'll still sting like hell during our honeymoon, let alone tonight! But if I can't...in Italy, you know that I won't ignore your needs, right? I mean, I still wanna be romantic and all, but if it's still too sensitive, then I'll take care of you, okay? But in the meantime," she paused as she gazed at him cheekily and she leaned her head down, towards his arousal, and just when he thought that she'd 'take care' of him right there in the middle of Madison Avenue in broad daylight, she stopped with her lips barely an inch away from his swollen bulge, she whispered, "Down, boy."

"I _really really_ hate Caroline right now!" he announced with a groan and put his car into gear to head home.

* * *

><p>Elena awoke the next morning feeling like she barely slept at all. Damon had spent the previous evening on the internet, researching for ways to help Elena's skin irritation with home remedy products, much like what Elena had done for him. Then he spent the night repeatedly pressing cold compress to the affected areas, making Elena jump in shock at the freezing temperature while numbing her skin in the process.<p>

He was also awake every few hours, diligently applying pure organic aloe vera to the skin until the redness was completely gone. She knew that he meant well and was trying valiantly to save their romantic honeymoon but he also made her feel frustrated with arousal at his soft touch so near to her pleasure point throughout the night. She also wondered how he managed to refrain himself from jumping her at any point of the night since he was also obviously sexually frustrated from the lack of relief. She's guessing that he probably used the cold compress on himself!

Turning her head to look at the still figure beside her, she found Damon sleeping peacefully, probably exhausted from his interrupted slumber the previous night. She snuggled closer to him and went back to sleep, wrapping her arms around his waist.

When they woke up again, half of the day was gone, and it was time for Damon to pack. They argued about what clothes to bring since Damon had insisted that he only needed two sets of clothes since he was planning on being naked with her in bed throughout the week, only leaving the hotel room for a visit to his ancestors' home and to see Jeremy. She had rolled her eyes at him and threw in more clothes as he stubbornly removed them from his luggage again. She finally decided to give in but only if he allowed her to bring along Mr. Cuddles.

"Italy's not the kind of place to bring Mr. Cuddles to, Elena!" he had argued, reaching into his bag to remove the bear.

"But I _want_ him to go! I've never slept anywhere without him before! Please, Damon, he won't take up much space, after all, your bag is literally empty with only two sets of clothes!" she argued right back, determined not to give in to him this time.

"That's not true, you slept without him the night we met, remember?" he reminded her with a smug smirk.

"God, I can't believe you'd throw that in my face! But you're right, I did sleep without him the night we met, but if you recall correctly, I slept in the guest room without you either! _And_, I left you without saying goodbye, remember? Perhaps it'll be déjà vu in Italy!" she announced haughtily as she stomped downstairs and left Damon to stare after her in shock. Sighing in defeat, he cast an apologetic look at Mr. Cuddles and gently placed him back into his luggage, patting his head before he zipped up the bag.

* * *

><p>Caroline arrived promptly at seven in the evening, and after receiving an earful from Elena about her recent wax job not to mention Caroline's shopping spree that totalled a whopping nine thousand dollars (Damon had told her that last night), they were on the way to the airport. Their flight was supposed to depart at ten p.m.; it was an eight and a half hours flight, but their arrival would be at noon (due to the time difference) in Milan, Italy, followed by another short connecting flight to Turin, where Jeremy's studying.<p>

Elena still had no idea what Caroline had packed for her, as the newly bought luggage bag was locked and covered with plastic wrappings. As soon as they had arrived at the airport, Caroline hugged them both goodbye, ignoring their glares, and hopped back in the car and drove away with a broad smile on her face, as if she was enjoying her own private joke.

Damon led Elena to the check-in counter and it was no surprise that that he had booked them in first class seats. The flight itself wasn't full; it was the last flight out – the red-eye. When they finally had Elena's luggage checked in and properly tagged, they made their way to the first class lounge to have some pre-flight meals. She was still sulking over not being allowed to bring Mr. Cuddles with her, and kept on throwing dirty looks at Damon, who looked amused for some reason.

However, Elena reminded herself that even though she is now nineteen, she shouldn't act like a teenager every time she doesn't get her way. She's now a successful man's wife and soon, a mother. So what if she didn't have her favourite bear with her on her honeymoon with the sweetest guy she'd ever met, and who was the _only_ reason she was going on her very first trip abroad? He had been so nice to her, especially last night when he took care of her inflamed skin lovingly. Sure, he didn't exactly do it without a motive; he _fully_ expected major sexual gratifications with her throughout this trip, but it was a win-win situation all-in-all.

So, she begrudgingly declared truce as soon as they embarked the flight, feeling oddly proud of herself for growing up and acting like an adult for once.

"Damon, I don't want to start our honeymoon being angry, so I'm calling a truce. Although I'm bummed that I can't have Mr. Cuddles with me on my very first trip aboard and though he would have made me feel a lot less anxious on my first flight experience, I guess I didn't really need him when I have _you_ right beside me. You'd protect me, wouldn't you? From air turbulences and faulty engines?" she asked in a small voice, feeling nervous since boarding the plane.

"Yes, of course I'd protect you, with my life. Though if the engines were faulty, I really don't know how I'd protect you, but I promise that I'd at least put the oxygen mask on you first – and even give you the last parachute as we're crashing into the North Atlantic Ocean," he declared with a straight face, but ended up chuckling when he saw her frightened face as she looked around worriedly. "I'm kidding, Elena! We're going to be fine! By noon local time tomorrow, we'll be in Milan and then we'll fly to Turin and see Jeremy, and then you'll hug him and cry, and then we'll go back to the hotel to spend our first round of awesome sex together!" he teased as he settled her down into the spacious first class seat next to the window and buckled her seatbelt around her waist.

"Oh my God, I'm gonna die, aren't I? I don't even have a will! What about our baby? Are pregnant women allowed to fly? What if the air pressure hurts our daughter, Damon? What if she's scared in there? What if-" she rambled in a near panic and Damon sighed as he stood up from his seat.

"'Damon, wh-where are you going? Don't leave me alone!" her hands clasped his in a tight grip as she pleaded with him.

"Relax, Elena. I'm just grabbing something from my bag, okay? I had a feeling you'll need this so I decided to bring it along for you," he said as he reached up to the overhead cabin and unzipped his luggage, and pulled out Mr. Cuddles for his wide-eyed wife.

"Mr. Cuddles!" she exclaimed in relief as she grabbed him from Damon's hand and hugged the bear tightly to her face. "Oh, I'm so happy you're here!" she mumbled into his soft fur, much to Damon's amusement. He returned to his seat beside her and pulled her close to him, pressing a kiss to the side of her forehead.

"I can't believe you'd actually prefer to be comforted by a freakin' smelly bear than me, but if it'll calm you down, then hey, who am I to complain? So, are you? Calmer?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am, much much calmer. Sorry I freaked out, but it's my first time flying, so I'm a little anxious. Hmm, it doesn't look like there are any more people coming on the flight. It's just that one guy seated two rows behind us," she gestured to the older gentleman with square black-rimmed glasses seated near the restroom, "and the three couples in front."

"Yeah, I think we're about to take-off soon. Hold my hand?" he offered, lifting his left hand to her, and she took it gratefully gripping him tightly. The stewardess came around, checking everyone's seatbelt and made sure that all luggages were properly stowed away. As an attractive red-head approach them, she smiled warmly at Damon, her eyes sweeping over him appreciatively, and checked that their seatbelts were properly fastened before moving behind them to the guy with glasses.

"Do you ever get tired of women checking you out?" Elena asked, annoyed that yet another attractive woman was vying for her husband's attention.

"She wasn't checking me out, it's just her job to smile at the passengers," he replied calmly. She was being ridiculous again; being jealous over a complete stranger who just happened to be doing their jobs. Elena rolled her eyes and decided to drop the subject when the red-headed stewardess started going through the safety demonstration in front. She listened attentively and actually repeated her actions, trying to commit everything into her memory just in case of emergency. Damon was enjoying himself watching her and failed to hold back his laughter when she mumbled the sequence of wearing the life vest, looking utterly serious and focused. When the demonstration was over, she turned her stern gaze on her husband who was still grinning broadly.

"Safety is no laughing matter, Damon. I know it's probably a routine for every single flight, but it's important to know these things. You'd be amazed how these kind of knowledge can help to save lives when we least expect it, especially in an emergency where most people will panic."

"I know, baby, but you just looked so adorable when you're being all serious and attentive. I really wish that I can attend your college classes with you next time; I can just imagine your serious student face, hanging onto every word of the lecturer's. Look, if you really want, there's a safety brochure in front of your seat," he reached out to flip through the normal in-flight magazine until he found the hard card-board of printed brochure and passed it to Elena who immediately poured over it. He shook his head at her inner geek-ness and he could just imagine the type of student she was in high school. Perhaps that was why she remained a virgin until she met him. She was probably too busy burying her head in a book in a library than making out with any interested guys. For once, he was grateful for being married to a geek. A hot geek.

She was so engrossed with the safety brochure that she hardly noticed that the plane took off until they were airborne and surrounded by the dark sky. She finally noticed when the stewardess started pushing trolley carts around, offering drinks and late-night supper to the first-class passengers, and once again, the red-head approached Damon with a soft smile and a gorgeous blush as she studied his blue eyes.

"You're Damon Salvatore, aren't you?" she asked hesitantly and he nodded. "I'm a big fan. I followed your career advancement in the Financial Times all the time. You were one of New York's most eligible bachelors for the past few years, weren't you?" she gazed in awe at the handsome young man seated in front of her, totally ignoring the young woman seated next to him.

"Yes, I was, but _this_ year, I'm New York's happiest newlywed ever and that honour is more meaningful than being the perpetual bachelor, right sweetie?" he turned to gaze lovingly at Elena who smiled gratefully at him and nodded in agreement.

"Oh, well, then congratulations to the both of you. Anything to drink, sir?" her tone immediately switched to her usual professional one as she flashed an envious look at Elena and their clasped hands.

"Whiskey for me, and orange juice for my pregnant wife," he replied in an equally detached tone. The red-head passed his orders to him and then enquired if there was anything else they needed. "Two blankets, please," he said and then she moved on to the only remaining gentleman behind them.

"Damon, you didn't have to do that, I know that you're not attracted to her. I just don't like it when women just throw themselves at you like I don't exist. It's like they don't even care to find out if you were married or not, but they just start flirting anyway. It's just really gross to watch," she admitted, sighing and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I know, I feel the exact same way when other guys look at you even for a second longer than appropriate. Like earlier, at the check-in counter, there were many lingering looks and it took all of my control to not drag you out of there, pronto. You, my wife, are entirely too gorgeous to be out in public. I have a good mind to lock you up in a tower and throw away the key," he teased as his fingers lightly stroked her face.

"Then, how will you come up to see me in that tower?"

"Why, I'll be locked in there _with_ you, of course!" he stated, as if it was an obvious fact.

"Then we shall name our daughter Rapunzel and let our friends come up to visit us by climbing up her hair?" she said sarcastically as she giggled.

"Son! I told you, we're having a son, and no son of mine is going to leave his hair long enough for Ric and the gang to climb through. I'm going to call him Little Dude Salvatore for now so that you'll stop confusing him for a girl." And so the argument continued, back and forth about the future sex of their baby until Ms. Red-head came over to deliver the blankets Damon had asked for. It was already passed midnight New York time, and the lights were dimmed low so that the passengers would get some sleep.

"Damon? Can I ask you a question?" Elena asked in a quiet voice after a moment of silence between them.

"Hmm? Are we playing twenty questions now?" he asked as he turned sideways to face her, noticing her alert eyes despite the late hour.

"No. I'm just curious about something. Your past," she said.

"What _about_ my past? If you're wondering about Ric and me, the answer is no, I'm not attracted to him, and despite what everyone suspects, I have _not_ had sex with him, even though I _know_ he wants me," his eyebrows wiggled cheekily and she clamped her hand around her mouth to muffle her sudden giggle.

"No! That wasn't what I wanted to ask! I'm just wondering, well, when was the first time you had sex?"

"Elena, why do you want to know that? Is this about your insecurities again? You know I only want you, right?" he deflected, uncomfortable with where their conversation is heading. He wasn't exactly proud of his past history with the numerous girls he had casual meaningless sex with. It was just a phase in his life where he needed an outlet to feel wanted and loved for even a few minutes of the day.

"I just want to know you better. Care said that you lost your virginity at a young age, so how old were you?" she asked again.

He sighed wearily. "Someday soon, I'm going to staple Caroline's lips together so that she doesn't speak on things that are none of her business. Okay, if you really want to know, I was fourteen, okay?" She gasped upon hearing his confession.

"Fourteen? That's...young. I didn't even have boobs then. So, who was it? Your first girlfriend? A lab partner? A neighbour?" she guessed.

"She was a senior in my school, and it just happened, okay? Can we drop the subject now? I _really_ don't want to talk about my past sexual partners with you, Elena," his tone was utterly serious as he turned back to face the front of the plane, hoping that _that_ was the end of the whole subject.

A whole ten minutes passed without another word from Elena who was looking out the window, into the dark night. Damon sneaked a peek at her silent form, and noticed her slight frown from the blurry reflection from the window. He took a deep breath and contemplated his next words, knowing that he'd regret ever saying them to her now. "Okay, Elena, I'll give in. You can ask me whatever you want."

She turned her head to look at his face, and then she shook her head lightly. "It's okay, I know you don't like to talk about this stuff with me. I had no right to ask you anyway."

"No, _of course_ you have a right to know everything about me. You're my wife, and I promised that I'll be honest with you. Go ahead, fire away," he nodded in encouragement. She hesitated before she turned her body fully to face him. It was lucky they were in first class seats where there were enough room for her to do that.

"How many times have you had sex?" she started.

"I don't exactly know, I don't keep count. We're talking about a span of ten years, Elena. If we're talking about an average of three or four months of sex daily for every year since I was fourteen, you do the math. And sometimes, it wasn't just once a day or even with one girl at a time," he said bluntly, hating himself when she blanched. Well, she wanted to know the truth, she's _getting_ the truth.

"Th-that's a whole extra zero than what Caroline had me believe," Elena managed to say as she felt dizzy with shock. How could she compete with over a thousand experiences with various women, most of whom she was sure were much more attractive than her. To think that she was even jealous of a stewardess who smiled and ogled at him; it didn't even compare to the sickening thought of him having wild sex with numerous other beauties, making them cum repeatedly with his flawless techniques he had learned since he was fourteen! Fourteen!

"Of course, the frequency got much lesser as I got older, especially after I joined my father's company. I was too engrossed with work then, and I barely had time for a social life, let alone a sexual life. I guess my most 'active' period was when I turned sixteen until I graduated from college. So, about five years of nothing but debauchery," he continued, keeping his eyes on her uneasy expression.

"Were they all...one-night stands?" _Like me_, she wanted to add, but didn't.

"A majority of them were casual, yes, but a few of them, I actually cared about. I _did_ have steady girlfriends back then, and I suppose the only decent thing I did was that I never cheated on _any_ of them."

"Was it that easy for you? Falling in love, I mean. There were so many girls, h-how did you even have time to fall in and out of love with them?" she wondered with a frown.

"I said that I cared about _some_ of them, I never did fall in love with any of them. Most of them were a bunch of spoilt girls who were cheating on their boyfriends anyway. It didn't mean anything, it was just sex. It was just a way to feel good for a short period of time without all the emotional attachments, and that was the way I liked it _then_. The longest relationship, if you could even call it that, was with Kat, and you already know how that story goes. And then, there's...you," he smiled a little when he said the last word, and his eyes softened as he looked at her with what she could tell as adoration.

"Yes, me and my seven times total of sex with _one_ person in my whole life! Oh wait, you already knew that."

"I'd trade my thousand over times for that seven times with you if I could," he whispered quietly. "It's a completely different experience when you do it with someone you have genuine feelings for, instead of just lust or a way to release. All those other times with the girls whose faces and names I can't even remember the next day; they didn't give me any sense of belonging that I longed for beyond the fifteen minutes I was _in_ them.

The reason I was such a playboy at the time, was because I was looking for approval and acceptance from anyone; things that I didn't get from my own father. I wasn't all that close to my brother then, because let's face it, I was too cool to hang out with a boring old geezer like him; and my mother was unhappy then. It was depressing to grow up in a house where people don't express any feelings, so I turn to what I knew best – women who wanted me. It was easier to fool myself into believing that all those girls loved and wanted me as I bring them pleasure. It was a psychological comfort that made me feel better about myself, but only for a moment. When the girls left, it was just me again, alone, unwanted and unloved. Then the cycle begins again."

"And now? What made it different for you the night we met? You said that you forgot the girls the very next day, but you told me that you looked for me after our one-night stand. What changed?" she asked, her heart pumping furiously as she waited for his answer. This was the defining moment for them, she realized.

"I honestly don't know. The moment I saw you, I was immediately attracted to you. But it wasn't merely physical. You had an aura of sadness and innocence in you that reached out to me and I couldn't turn away. Then we started talking and you told me about your family and I just felt like we were meant to be, you know? I didn't believe in fate until that night. But I think that the real moment that I fell for you was when we were caught in the rain and we were running hand-in-hand to Ric's apartment. To my surprise, you were complaining that I carried you when you'd rather walk around in the pouring rain, and you had that look in your eyes, like you were a little kid finally being allowed to go play outside. There was a freedom in your eyes that I hadn't seen before; the kind of freedom that I wished I had, just from something as simple as walking in the rain. It was sexy as hell," he grinned.

Phew! Her heart was still intact, even though it was practically beating out of her ribcage then.

"Damon, I'm glad that you were my first, and even my only, but sometimes I can't help but feel as if I'm a baby just learning how to talk compared to your vast experiences. I know that we get jealous and possessive when other people of the opposite sex appear in our lives. The difference is that _you_ know that I won't be attracted to anyone else because you're the _only_ one I've been with. And for some reason, you're okay with my inexperience. Besides that, I have never been in a serious relationship with anyone other than my former best friend and that was only for a couple of months. I don't have a track record of being in a meaningless relationship or have a casual sex partner, because that's not the way I'm built. For me, there has to be feelings involved for me to-to make love.

But _you_, women throw themselves at your feet if you so much as look at them with your gorgeous blue eyes! Like Ms. Red-head earlier, I don't doubt that if you weren't married, you'd be having sex right now in the cockpit! It's _that_ easy for you to just turn that switch off and lose yourself in meaningless sex, after which you can just walk away without any guilt. You said it yourself; you were a playboy because you wanted to feel loved and wanted, even if it was just for a moment. I guess I'm just afraid that one day, if we had a serious fight and you get upset, you'll just leave and lose yourself in another woman to feel what I couldn't make you feel," Elena reached up and wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye as she finally expressed her insecurities.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't cheat on someone I'm having a relationship with? You just have to learn to trust me, Elena, that's all I can tell you. If we fight, we fight! I'll just go to a bar with my buddy Ric, and he will give me some wise advice that I'll listen to, and then he'll bring me home to _you_. That's it! As for the other women, that's _all_ in my past! I won't go back to meaningless relationship when I've already experienced the best sex I've ever had with the person I love, and that's you! So, I hope that we've laid this entire matter to rest, and I don't wanna hear another word about this topic again, Elena. I really mean it, not another word, deal?" he eyed her sternly, his whole body rigid with tension as he waited for her response. When she nodded, his whole body relaxed and without another word, he unbuckled his seatbelt and walked into the restroom.

God! He was upset with her. Her and her insecurities! She wondered if she had single-handedly ruined their entire honeymoon. It was so typical of her to do that, to push someone she cared about away and they haven't even begun their honeymoon yet! They haven't even touched down in Italy and he was already walking away from her. But perhaps, he _really_ had to pee. She _really_ hoped that he had to pee!

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><p>Damon stood in front of the mirror and stared at himself for a few seconds. He had to think of a way to convince his young wife that she was <em>it<em> for him. He wanted her to know that he would do anything to gain her trust, and to salvage their honeymoon after the heaviness of their discussion earlier. Most of all, he wanted to distract her and make her forget about her inexperience in sex. If she wanted experience, he'd give it to her!

He made some adjustments to his clothes and as inspiration struck, he wet his hair and ran his fingers over them, arranging them in a specific way. Then, he stepped out of the restroom, looking around to see if anyone noticed him because he was acting so peculiarly, but it looked like the whole plane was quiet. Well, it should be, it was close to two a.m.! He walked past the sleeping gentleman who was seated two rows behind them, snoring loudly and he hastily removed the thick glasses from the bridge of his nose and put it on himself. Woah, he felt dizzy as he tried to peer through the thick lenses, until he managed to find his seat without falling over his own feet. He gratefully sank down in his seat and turned to face Elena.

She gasped in shock as she saw him, and stifled a giggle that erupted uncontrollably as she studied him. He was wearing the older guy's thick black-framed glasses, and his hair was parted in a slick line in the middle, lying flat against the skull. His black shirt was buttoned all the way up until his Adam's apple and his jeans were pulled high above his belly, exposing his socks around his ankles. Basically, he looked like an intellectual nerd. _What the hell was he doing_?

"H-hi, my name is D-D-Daniel," he stuttered in a realistically nervous tone, and held out his hand to shake hers. She swallowed another giggle as she shook his somewhat limp handshake and introduced herself.

"I-I saw that dick you were with earlier, and I have to tell y-you that a pretty girl like you don't deserve someone like h-him! I can make you feel g-good!" and with that, he awkwardly reached out both hands and cupped her breasts, making her gasp out in surprise. She really didn't expect that from 'Daniel', but his groping managed to silence her into shock, at least.

"I have a 4.0 GPA, and an IQ of 160, but I have never touched a girl before. Can I touch you before that dick comes back?" he whispered in her ear, as his fingers squeezed her sensitive nipples, making her arch her back. She nodded weakly as her eyes drifted close, surrendering to his weird but pleasurable assault. He covered her body and himself with the blankets, and adjusted her seat so that she reclined fully before he adjusted his own.

Removing the glasses so that he could see what he's doing, he reached under the blanket until his hands reached her thighs, sliding the shirt of her dress higher and higher until they were bunched around her waist. Luckily the blanket covered her lower body, otherwise she would have been exposed to anyone who walked by their seats. He slid both palms down her abdomen until they came to the elastic of her underwear, then he hooked his fingers to slide them down, lifting her hips slightly as he did, and then they were on the floor. He allowed his fingers to slowly make their way back up the length of her long legs, until his thumb brushed against the wet heat at the top of her thighs. He wished he could lift the blanket up so that he could see her smooth skin, now completely bare and no longer sensitive.

He slid his middle finger along the slit, feeling the moisture gather at the entrance of her lower lips, so he gathered the wetness with his finger and circled the small button at the very top, partially hidden. Her hips jerked the moment he made contact to the sensitive bud, and she let out a moan when his finger continued their agonizingly slow circle around it, the sounds she was making was unnaturally loud in the silence of the plane. He covered her mouth with his other hand and his right hand repeatedly drove her crazy; his thumb flicked over the now-swollen bud in a fast motion and she almost screamed out loud at the sensation if it hadn't been for his firm hold against her lips. She was thrusting her lower body towards his hand, eager for more contact, for more...anything.

Her eyes flew open when he withdrew his hand and lifted her right leg so that it rested on top of his thighs. It was just in time too, as Ms. Red-head walked up to them and with suspicious eyes, asked if they wanted anything. Obviously, she heard Elena's loud moan earlier and came to investigate. Unperturbed, Damon just smiled and shook his head and then his hands were massaging her calves as he just said one word, "Cramps." Ms. Red-head just looked down at the leg he was holding and her eyes finally narrowed on his appearance, finding it weird that he now looked like a science geek. She left soon after and disappeared into the cockpit area.

"You have to keep quiet, pretty girl," he whispered warningly, and then without any preamble, shoved two fingers into her sopping heat, and it took all of her control to bite down on her lower lip to avoid crying out. Her right leg was still on top of his, and the angle of spread thighs provided him with the perfect opportunity to plunge his fingers in repeatedly until she was a writhing mess on the seat. She was growing wetter by the second, and he knew that her impending release was very soon.

"Brace yourself," he warned her before he let his left hand join his right, one hand teasing her clitoris and spreading her lips open, while the other stroke her tight passage, thrusting in and out of her mercilessly. She turned her head to his body, burying her face against his chest as her lower body jerked and twitched from his ministrations. He bent his head down to claim her lips as she squeezed her eyes tight, and his fingers curled within her as he tapped her clit firmly, pushing her over the edge. He swallowed her muffled cries as he sucked her tongue into his mouth as she shuddered violently from cumming so hard. He removed his left hand from her sensitive slit but continued thrusting his fingers in her, although he'd slowed down somewhat, merely prolonging her orgasm. When her body stopped shaking, he withdrew his fingers from her, and she could see that they were dripping with her juices.

He adjusted her skirt to her thighs again, unbuckled her seatbelt and then removed the blankets from their lower bodies, and then he pulled her up from the seat and led her into the restroom, shaking legs and all. As soon as he locked the folding doors behind them, he undid he belt and zipper and pulled his jeans and boxers down to reveal his hardness and then he sat down on the toilet seat.

Not knowing what to do with herself – because she seriously though that he was taking a dump on the toilet with her watching right there – she tried to turn around to give him some privacy but then he pulled her into his lap with her back against his chest, lifting her skirt up for the second time that night- or morning – and then he was inside her in the next moment. She threw her head back at the feeling of fullness of his massive erection inside her recently fingered passage.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and tried to move her body up and down on his cock until she got the message and lifted herself and then sink down again. At one point she even grinded her hips against him, evoking a low groan from him. She squeezed her thighs together and her efforts were rewarded when he cried out, "God, that's so tight!"

She bounced on top of him a few more times until she felt the familiar stirrings deep in her belly, signalling another imminent orgasm. "Cum with me!" she breathed out throatily as her inner muscles squeezed him and her spasms caused him to let out an animalistic growl as he thrust one final time into her, letting her milk him dry as he hugged her tightly against his chest, panting heavily with exertion. It was a few more minutes before one of them could move. Elena felt like her legs were made of rubber as she stood up slowly, her knees shaking as she grabbed onto the sink for support. He slumped down on the toilet seat for a few seconds before he pulled up his pants and fastened them, rearranging his clothes and hair to his usual look, now that the role-play was over. Except for the borrowed glasses perched on his head.

"Are you alright?" he asked her finally when they recovered enough to speak.

"I'm fine, just need to clean up," she spoke breathlessly and then pulled some paper towels, wet them with water and then wiped herself to remove their combined secretions. "Daniel was quite the wild nerd," she said.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how kinky nerds can be, especially the pimply awkward ones," he smirked and then he leaned over to kiss her, pulling her into his arms. "Are you ready to go out?" he asked when their lips parted.

"Yeah, I guess so. Do I look thoroughly ravished?" she asked as she threw the paper towels into the toilet bowl and pressed the flush button.

"You look gorgeously flushed and fucked, no pun intended," he replied with a grin on his handsome face. He slid the lock open and pushed the doors so that they could both step out of the narrow cubicle, only to met with a disapproving Ms. Red-head, standing outside the restroom waiting for them with her arms folded.

"And what were you two doing in the restroom together? This isn't the mile-high club, you know?" her voice was uncompromising as she swept her gaze at their dishevelled and sweaty appearances.

"Sorry, morning sickness, couldn't be avoided," Damon said, flashing a grin at the scowling stewardess before he guided Elena back to their seats, making sure that she was seated securely before he pulled the glasses from the top of his head and threw it back to the snoring gentleman, hitting him on the head and jarring him awake. Seeing the confused man glance around to see what woke him, Damon quickly sat down in his own seat and buckled his seatbelt. Then, he pulled Elena's reclining body against him and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace until they both fell into an exhausted sleep.

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><p><strong>I'm sorry for the insanely long chapter, but I figured that I had to write all their insecurities so that they can finally move on to have a great honeymoon. Yeah, there was also reason why I wrote about the shopping with Caroline and Elena's epiphany at the baby store and also her wax session. <strong>

**It's gonna be an awesome honeymoon, baby!**

**Review if you liked 'Daniel'!**

**As usual, like it, love it, or hate it, READ AND REVIEW please. Appreciate it!**

**p.s. Add me on twitter if you feel like it...if not never mind!**


	22. Chapter 22

**GOD ALMIGHTY! I've surpassed the 500th mark in reviews! *climbs on study table and dances***

**All my reviewers are just awesome! Like _really_ AWESOME!**

**Perhaps geeky Daniel's not your cup of tea?**

**So, what's in store for you this chapter? More honeymoon, of course! But be warned, some things aren't what they appear to be...it's about to be a bumpy ride!**

**DISCLAIMER: AVERT YOUR EYES IF YOU'RE UNDERAGE OR OPPOSED TO KINKY NON-CONSENT SEX SCENES. SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER NOW! I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT YOU WON'T MISS ANYTHING, PLOT-WISE! GO DIRECTLY TO CHAPTER 23, DO NOT PASS GO AND DO NOT COLLECT USD200! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!**

**On that note...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 22: Strangers<strong>

Where the hell _was_ he? She couldn't believe that he left her alone at the hotel bar, surrounded by foreign strangers, drunks and leering perverts. She felt extremely self-conscious as she looked down at the dress she was wearing; a navy blue sleeveless dress with a wide vee plunging neckline almost all the way to her belly, and flared swirly skirt that ended around her mid-thighs. The soft material flowed around her as she fidgeted nervously, keeping an eye out for Damon who disappeared from their hotel room fifteen minutes ago.

"Ah, finally! An empty seat beside a lovely lady in blue. What luck! You _do_ speak English, don't you?" came a masculine voice right beside her. Automatically, Elena turned to the source of the voice to find a tall slender man seated on a barstool recently vacated by another gentleman. His eyes were on her, effectively confirming that he was indeed speaking to her.

"Yes, I do," she answered politely and he looked relieved at her answer. From his accent, he sounded American and perhaps he was looking for anyone who could speak a familiar language that wasn't Italian in the whole bar.

"Ah, a fellow American! I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear someone speak my native tongue in a foreign land. I gave up trying to learn to speak Italian a while ago and I haven't spoken to anyone except Room Service since I've been here. I'm Dean, by the way," he smiled pleasantly as he held out his hand in front of her.

She didn't see any harm in being friendly to another American so she shook it and introduced herself. "I'm Elena."

"It's very nice to meet you, Elena. So what's a lovely lady like you doing alone in a bar filled with rude drunks?" he asked conversationally.

"I'm waiting for someone," she replied, unwilling to disclose any more to this stranger, no matter how charming he might appear to be.

"Well, until your other party arrives, can I buy you a drink, Elena?" he offered. His eyes travelled from her eyes down her body, resting on the neckline of her revealing dress. Damn Caroline and her fashion sense!

"No, thank you. I'm not supposed to drink," she shook her head and kept an eye on the entrance of the hotel bar.

"Oh, come on! Just one drink! I'm assuming you're here on vacation, right? What's one drink on your holiday? Come on, what will it be; Margarita, Martini, Sex on the Beach, Screaming Orgasm, Blowjob, Slippery Bald Beaver?" he leered at her as he named the alcohol list of suggestive names, making his intentions clear.

"Look, I appreciate the offer for a drink, but I'm not here to get hit on or to hook up with strangers, so I'd appreciate it if you find another place to sit," she told him in a firm voice, not wanting to encourage any inappropriate behaviour.

"I call bullshit! A lady sitting in a bar, alone, dressed the way you are is expecting nothing less than a wild sexy romp. In fact, I'll bet that you're getting turned on right now, aren't you? It excites you to have a stranger trying to pick you up. I'll bet that you do this all the time too, don't you? Flirt with the guy, get him interested, and then turn him down?" he had leaned over to whisper in her ear, placing his left hand on her knee.

She rolled her eyes in disgust and dislodged his hand from her knee as she leaned back to distance herself. "I'm married!" she announced, hoping that he'd back off then.

It didn't work. He smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "That's never stopped me before."

Ugghh, this man was disgusting! She wished he would just leave her alone already.

"My husband's a very possessive man and he gets easily jealous. Trust me, you wouldn't want to mess with him," she threatened steadily, knowing that this man would have already been unconscious on the floor if Damon found out about him.

"I've always loved a challenge. What can I say, I'm a thrill-seeker. The adrenaline rush combined with the idea of my cum on your face would be worth it, I'm sure."

God, this man was beyond exasperating! She didn't want to put up with him anymore, so she stood up.

"Please just leave me alone. Go find someone else to harass. I'm going up to my room," she shook her head and straightened her dress as she grabbed her purse.

"Now _that_ sounds like an invitation if I've ever heard one," he sneered, flashing his pearly whites at her.

She just groaned and walked away, hoping that he would remain in the bar and disturb somebody else. She'd have enough of waiting, so she took the elevator to return to the room. As soon as she stepped out, she opened her purse to search for the room access card and walked the long corridor towards the room. She scanned the card and entered, calling out Damon's name to see if he was in the room. As she closed the heavy door, a hand shot out to stop it from closing completely and shoved the door open with a force strong enough to make Elena stumble backwards in shock.

"You!" she exclaimed, staring in horror at the jerk from downstairs. "What the hell do you think you're doing in here?" By now, he had already entered the room and slammed the door shut, double-locking it in the process. He advanced towards her in a menacing way as she walked backwards, panicking at the thought of this man's obvious objectionable intention.

"I'm finishing what we started downstairs, you little tease. I told you that I loved a challenge, and I'm not one to back down from one. Now, let's find out if you're as hot under that slutty dress as you are in it," his long strides closed the gap between them and his hands reached out to grab her just as her back came into contact with the tempered glass windows in the room.

She let out a muffled scream as his palm closed over her lips in a firm grip and his hard body pressed her against the flat glass behind her, effectively holding her in place.

"I smell fear and it's intoxicating," he whispered roughly as he leaned his head into the side of her neck, breathing in her scent mixed with the perfume she had sprayed on earlier in the evening. With his free hand, he ran a finger lightly from the skin beneath her ear lobe, down past her neck, her collarbone, her tantalising cleavage left bare by the neckline, down her belly where her tiny bump was and then her hips and the top of her thigh.

Her eyes were wide with fear and she watched helplessly as his lips kissed her left shoulder, his lips pushing the narrow strap aside, dislodging it so that it slid off her shoulder, taking part of her material that covered her left breast down with it. His hand that had explored her body immediately lifted up and cupped her heaving breast, squeezing non-too-gently as he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, causing it to harden. She shook her head violently, silently pleading with him not to do this, but he ignored her as he continued his assault on her body.

She tried to struggle, kicking her legs in all directions but he was too strong for her. He nudged her legs apart, spreading them far enough so that she would have lost her balance if she attempted to kick him again. She could feel his arousal against her lower body as he pinned her to the window, and she couldn't believe that she was about to be sexually assaulted on her own honeymoon.

He bent down further to envelope her erect nipple into his mouth, earning him a low groan from her covered mouth as she felt his soft tongue circling the sensitive tip, further heightened by her pregnancy. She was ashamed with herself for being unable to control her vocal reactions at having her body teased by the unwelcomed intruder. She felt her whole body grow warmer as he sucked at her nipple, pulling the bud with his lips to the point of pain. Her heart was racing as she shuddered under his torture, and she almost sighed with relief when his lips detached from her, but in the next moment, he had the other strap roughly pulled down her arm, causing her entire dress to fall to her hips. The only reason it didn't fall completely off her was because he was still pressing her body down with his lower body, but _that_ changed when he pulled himself off her long enough to quickly turn her around and pushed her front against the window this time.

Her dress slid all the way down to the floor due to the lack of resistance in that split second that he changed her position, and breasts were now pressed against the cool glass, causing both nipples to harden even more. It was lucky that it was dark outside and the hotel room was situated on a high level, far from any other tall buildings. Otherwise, her state of undress would have been obvious for all to see through the clear glass.

The change in position – with him now behind her – meant that he was no longer covering her mouth, a fact that she was grateful for as it meant that she could now scream for help. "Please, somebody help me! Help! I'm-" she got cut off the moment he pressed her head forcefully against the glass.

"Scream. Scream all you want, nobody can hear you. We're at the penthouse and there's nobody else on this floor. Make as much noise as you want; I could tell that you were a screamer," he chuckled from behind and she clamped her lips shut at his mocking tone, stubbornly refusing to make any sound since it was true that nobody would hear her anyway. "I thought so. You're a rebellious one, aren't you?" he teased.

"My husband is going to kill you when he finds out!" she bit out angrily.

"Is that so? Then I guess we'd better make it count," he said and then she felt his hand between her thighs, fingers pressing against her bare slit, sliding all over her folds. No thanks to Caroline, she wasn't even wearing any underwear.

"Mmmm, such a naughty girl; all shaved and ready for me. I knew you weren't as innocent as you looked. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that there's a wild side in you, waiting to break out. Time for screaming, princess," he promised huskily and the next thing she felt was his finger tracing over the top of her mound, making a beeline to her clit. Her hips bucked wildly the moment he came into direct contact with the tender bundle of nerves, and she had to bite down on her lip to refrain from moaning out loud at the sensation. How could her body betray her like that? This was wrong! She shouldn't be aroused by the forced sexual assault.

His left hand reached inside his pocket and removed something small. He could hardly contain his excitement at the thought of her reaction to the item. Oh, she was acting like a reluctant victim now, but soon she'd be begging him for more.

The fingers of his right hand spread her lower lips apart and suddenly she could hear a low humming noise from his left hand. _What the hell was that_?

She didn't have to wait long to find out. He lowered his left hand to her spread lips and in the next instant, what the humming noise came from was clear as day the moment it touched her clit; it was an egg vibrator! He was right; she _was_ screaming and writhing against the glass window as he pressed the toy relentlessly against her now-swollen button, unable to control her responses as her body wracked with spasms repeatedly and she could hear his low chuckle at the sight of her flushed face. Her throat was hoarse from her screams and it gradually simmered down to low moans as her whole body tightened, like a coiled spring. It's now just a matter of _when_ the spring would give way and she wasn't looking forward to that when it happens.

All of a sudden, while still firmly pressing the toy against her, he penetrated her slippery sheath with two fingers without any hesitation. He could feel the vibrations deep within her and the added stimulation of his thrusting fingers proved to be her undoing; she was cumming...hard. She was completely at his mercy now, her head thrown back in ecstasy, her lips open as she panted breathlessly and her body was shaking like a leaf.

The torture continued even after he removed his fingers, her juices running down her thighs as he did so. This time, he lowered the vibrator until it reached her spread lips, and he gently pushed the toy deep inside her. Even though the humming had somewhat diminished, now she could feel the vibrations everywhere in her body; the tips of her fingers, her hard nipples, her toes, and to the roots of her hair. Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore of this, he sneakily increased the speed with a remote control, and her insides turned to mush. Her knees were shaking and her legs collapsed under her, and he had to move swiftly to catch her before she fell down hard onto the floor.

His arms caught her lifeless body, her sensitive bare skin rubbing against his fully-clothed body as he lowered her onto the floor where her body jerked and thrashed against him, her lips spewing unintelligible nonsense. The sight of her bare mound excited him to the point that he was harder than he'd ever been before. Seeing that she was distracted enough not to escape, he quickly shed his own clothes, eager to ease the uncomfortable tightness in his pants. He had a smug smile on his face as he watched her face scrunched up, her eyes closed tightly, unable to do anything but to surrender to him. That's what he loved to do; taming a resistant woman until she begged him for mercy. He would like to hear _her_ beg.

Now that he was no longer confined in his clothes, he felt somewhat generous, so he lowered his head to wrap his lips around her throbbing clit, ignoring her immediate pleas for him to stop.

"No, no! Please, no more!" she begged, and in her hazy mind, she hated how pathetic she sounded. Her orgasms had been coming non-stop ever since he upped the speed so by now, it had reached the point of pain. "Please, it hurts! No more, please."

Thankfully, he decided to give her a little reprieve and he pressed a button on his remote to switch off the toy and then he removed the small egg-shaped item from inside her. It was drenched with her wetness, the surface glistening from the light.

"See, I told you you'd scream. But princess, I'm far from being done with you," he said huskily as he lowered his body on hers, so that she'd feel his nakedness and his hardness pressing against her bare flesh.

"No, please let me go. I can't do this. Please, I don't want anymore," she murmured, unable to open her heavy lids as she laid there on the rough carpet on the floor.

"You mouth might say no, but your body is practically _begging_ to be taken. Just admit it; you want this. You need this. You're turned on by the fact that you're about to be taken against your will," he said as he positioned himself beside her prone body, lying on his side and pulling her so that her back was to his front, spooning her. He hooked his arm under her left leg, her knee bent to spread her thighs wide open so that she could feel his erection nestled against her sopping heat.

"No! Please don't!" she shook her head violently when she realised his intention to enter her from behind. "I'll do anything! I'm...I'm pregnant. Please!"

"Pregnant, huh? Even better; means I don't have to wear a condom then," he pushed his hips forward and with one quick thrust, he was inside her. She released a high-pitched scream and arched her back at the feeling of the fullness deep inside her. She tried to close her legs but his arm was maintaining its tight grip at the back of her knee, effectively pinning her where she laid flushed against him.

He pulled out until only the tip of his penis was left inside, and then swiftly thrust in again, repeating his actions as he got deeper and deeper each time. Her body jerked against his every time he did that until he reached over and played her sensitive clit like a fiddle, causing her to tense her whole body as she waited for the sensations to erupt in one explosive burst of fireworks. And when it did, she almost passed out from the intense release, her inner muscles squeezing and massaging his organ from within. Desperate for his own release, he was determined that she was ruined for anyone that would ever come near her again, wanting her to experience an orgasm that put all the other ones she had before this to shame and that he will forever be seared in her memory.

Taking advantage of the fact that she was still lost in the throes of passion, he quickly reached over to the small toy he used on her earlier, and placed it on her clit before he pressed the button on the remote control, the toy immediately coming to life. As the vibrations increased, so did the volume and frequency of her hoarse cries.

She really couldn't take any more; she has never orgasmed so much in one go, and as much as she hated that it was happening to her this way, her body had a mind of its own and was responding to his assault. Knowing that he was going to cum soon, he shifted his angle a little and resumed his fast and hard thrusting, his head hitting the spongy surface on the front wall of her vagina. That, combined with the strong vibrations of the egg vibrator, made her legs shake uncontrollably and her head thrown back against his shoulder.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God, please...ohhhhh...pull out! Pull out!" she groaned out as she felt an unbearable pressure pushing from deep within her. As soon as he pulled out completely, a fair amount of squirt gushed out with such force that it landed a few feet away from where they laid, drenching both of their legs and even the carpet. Watching her erupt in such an earth-shattering orgasm made him lose control and he grunted when he felt his balls tighten. The next thing he knew, he had ejaculated all over her thighs, his white cum mixing with hers. With their bodies still shaking with tremors and the after-shocks of their wild sex, he lowered her leg and it fell on top of the other as if it was a dead weight.

He gathered all his leftover strength to glance at her face, but she seemed as if she was knocked out cold. Throwing the vibrator aside, he pulled her closer and kissed her shoulder wearily, and then he sprawled onto his back, still panting deeply. After a few more moments, she started to stir beside him so he pushed her to lie on her back and pushed her heavy dark locks away from her face.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he studied her half-open eyes.

"I've died and gone to heaven! I've never cum so hard in my life!" she breathed out, still trying to catch her breath.

"Me too, that was _so_ hot, Elena. Remind me to thank Caroline when we get home," Damon commented with a grateful sigh.

"Yeah, thank her, _then_ kill her. I must say, 'Dean' was rather rough, perhaps, even _too_ rough," she said.

"I'm sorry, my dear, I was in the moment. This reluctance theme is kinda my forbidden fantasy that I've wanted to try with you for so long. I think it was brilliant of me to come up with this character as a way for you to expand your sexual experience and even feel what it's like to sleep with someone else," he stroked her arm softly as he leaned in to kiss her lips since they haven't kissed since the start of their roleplay tonight.

"Yeah, I've slept with husband Damon, geeky Daniel and perverted Dean so far; the score right now is three versus your approximate a hundred women. Right, I have another ninety seven more to go to even our numbers. Problem is...I don't think I'd be able to walk if 'gain any more experience'. I think I'm just going to lie here until it's time for us to catch our flight home in six days."

"Don't you want to see Jeremy? And visit my ancestral home in Florence?" he asked, chuckling lightly at her weary expression.

"I can always skype with my brother and I can just google your ancestral home on the computer when we get home. Right now, I just want to _not_ move and pass out, and not necessarily in that order," she sighed.

"Damnit, if I'd known we weren't going to leave the room at all, I wouldn't have even bothered to pack _any_ clothes at all. But I like how you think. In fact, I'm getting all worked up again just thinking about all the nakedness we'd be in. Care for another round?" he asked teasingly.

She groaned and rolled over onto her stomach and remained still for the next few hours.

* * *

><p><em>(Earlier that same day)<em>

As soon as they arrived in Turin after an uneventful plane ride from Milan, they were brought to the hotel by the hotel limo to check-in.

After grabbing a quick lunch at the hotel's restaurant, they went up to their penthouse suite that Damon had booked for them since it had the best view of the beautiful city of Turin. Well, the view was indeed great, but he also loved the fact that they practically had the entire floor to themselves. Can anyone say 'Screaming Orgasms'?

Elena was super excited as she walked into the fancy room, running around like a little kid as she discovered everything about this amazing place. Damon rolled his eyes a few times at her enthusiasm but really, he was glad to see her so happy. So far, the honeymoon was off to a brilliant start.

Finally, after exclaiming in delight over every little thing she found in their room, she decided to unpack and take inventory of what Caroline had packed for her. So, Damon rolled the heavy luggage to their bedroom and placed the bag on the luggage rack before he unlocked it.

As soon as he opened it, his face instantly wore an expression of shock. Feeling her stomach drop, Elena went to peer inside the luggage and promptly decided that as much as she had grown to like and love her new best friend, Caroline was going to die a brutal and violent death. By Elena's own hands.

The topmost part of the luggage was filled with an assortment of toys – a dildo; an egg vibrator; ball gag; rhinestone plastic cuffs; a mini-whip with blindfold and leather choker, all in pink; a book titled 'Position of the Day'; a bottle of flavoured lubricant; anal beads; and an appropriately named Hello Kitty vibrating underwear.

As she pushed the offensive items aside with disgust, she found a bag of toiletries and make-up (thank God for small miracles!), three pairs of shoes - sandals, heels, and boots; two pairs of skinny jeans, two tops, six dresses that seemed a bit too fancy for sight-seeing, three sets of negligee that were either _so_ sheer, they looked like windows, or so skimpy that one can be sure of exposing themselves if one so much as _breathe_ when they're sleeping. Frustrated until she was almost at the end of her rope, she removed everything she had discovered so far, and to her surprise, she was looking at the bottom of the luggage. It was empty!

How was that possible? Caroline couldn't have forgotten such an important detail! She was so _anal_ when it comes to planning, that it was simply impossible that she could have left out underwear and bras! Other than the set she had on when she boarded the plan, she had no other lingerie to wear! Unless, Caroline didn't forget; she simply didn't think that she needed any.

"I don't have any lingerie," she said out loud to Damon who was watching her facial expressions with increasing amusement as she unpacked.

"What?" he sounded surprised, considering he wasn't paying attention to the items that came out of the bag except for the initial sex toys.

"I. Don't. Have. Any. Freaking. Lingerie. Caroline didn't pack any bras or panties for me! Does she expect me to walk around Italy with my nipples pointing the way and my bare lady bits exposed?" she almost shouted with exasperation.

"You could wear the vibrating underwear, if _that_ helps. And I love your nipples! They're so incredibly sexy and one look at them makes me wanna press you up against a wall and have my wicked ways with them!"

"I think that's her point! Did you put her up to this?" her eyes narrowed with suspicion at his calm response.

"Me? No! I would never! But it's interesting to note that I feel like I love her much more than Stefan now. She should _always_ pack for you whenever we go on a trip now," he grinned cheekily and tried to wrap his arm around her in to placate her.

She rolled her eyes at him as she pushed his hands away. She grabbed her bag of toiletries and headed to the ensuite bathroom, muttering under her breath about perverted Salvatores and evil blondes.

He chuckled as he watched her retreating back and then turned back to examine the scattered items in renewed interest. He moved the items around until he found what he was looking for, an idea forming in his head. Thoughtfully, he pocketed the small egg vibrator along with its remote and planned out how to carry his ideas out tonight.

It's time for more role-playing! Unlike the necessity for her silence on the plane, _this_ time, he intended to take full advantage of the remote location of the penthouse. Tonight, there was no holding back.

* * *

><p><strong>Ten points to Gryffindor if you figured out that Dean was Damon as you were reading.<strong>

**Yeah right, as if Elena would be able to be turned on by anyone other than Damon. Well, she probably might, but in my weird unrealistic story, her body will only respond to its master. **

**I chose the name Dean because I love Supernatural and I think Dean Winchester is hot! If only the series can have a crossover of Supernatural and vampire Diaries; the Originals would be taken care of just like that *snaps fingers*. **

**As usual, like it, love it, or hate it, READ AND REVIEW if 'Dean' is your cup of tea/bourbon. Appreciate it!**

**p.s. Someone asked me if I can try to speed up the pace of the story...sigh, I really want to, I do! But...I want Damon and Elena's newfound happiness to last without getting surrounded by all the drama again. Let's make a deal...let me have my romantic honeymoon (at least one more chapter) and then I'll speed things up a little, okay?**

**I REALLY don't want this story to end so fast... *sob sob* *sniff sniff* **


	23. Chapter 23

**Firstly, I just wanted to say thank you for all the reviews; positive OR negative! I was kinda contemplating on the interpretation of the whole roleplay reluctance thing, but I figured that we're all adults who can handle a somewhat more disturbing scene.**

**I loved how honest you all were being, and it doesn't bother me at all if you didn't like the sex scene in the previous chapter, because it's all about personal preference and interpretation. I know how you all feel, as I do not like BDSM (spanking, gagging, bondage, pain infliction) scenes but somehow, I liked Fifty Shades of Grey/Darker/Freed series. I guess the key is that Ana Steele (the character in Fifty Shades) had the choice to walk away or to yell out the safe word at any time should she want him to stop. It's all based on mutual consent. With that being said... **

**I DO NOT condone violence, abuse, and mind control (compulsion in the case of TVD) without the mutual consent of both parties because that takes the choice away from the victim. Sex between two people is a very personal journey and how they play it out really is based on personal preference. Non-consent/reluctance is NOT for everyone, but some people do enjoy it, but it is only okay if BOTH parties are aware of it.**

**I have to address this to Victoria who wasn't a registered reader so I can't reply to you personally. Sorry to call you out like this, but if you judge the scene using your personal feelings about rape victims and question MY decency and sanity, then it'd be like an abused victim reading about BDSM, right? I'm not bashing you, but I do appreciate your opinion, but also hope that you'd appreciate mine. It was obvious by the end of the roleplay that Dean was in fact Damon. It was also obvious that they were both playing 2 characters, albeit a little OOC, that was of mutual consent. In fact, the whole conversation at the bar, Elena pretended that she didn't know 'Dean'. That should give you a clue that they were both role-playing a fantasy that Damon wanted to act out. They are a couple who love each other so it's not actually RAPE because they were both aware the whole time and if you noticed, Damon concentrated on giving _her_ pleasure, not his own. Damon did not hurt her at all except for being a little rough, but she did not break character throughout the scene. If she would have said a safe word or yell out his real name, then he would have stopped. She had the choice in her hands the _whole_ time. I did warn that things weren't as they appeared to be, didn't I? However you want to interpret it is your prerogative, but it was meant to be read as a sexual play between the couple in their own private space. If you were offended, then I apologise but by all means, do not continue reading if it really affected you that deeply. Elena is NOT a victim, so don't try to make her one or turn it into something ugly. But thank you for supporting the story up to that point anyway. **

**Controversial scene aside, the previous chapter was actually meant to show how much Elena had grown to trust Damon, if she was willing to surrender herself so completely to him in that particular role-play. Elena's a head-strong, stubborn, and capable woman, so the fact that she allowed him to have control over her is a far cry from her uncertainty towards his feelings for her when they had their heart-to-heart on the plane. That scene was supposed to depict how confident and self-assured she is now with Damon, otherwise, she would have called the whole thing off and hit him over the head with the luggage bag and ran screaming from the room!**

**I guess Gryffindor had SOME points added, but not a whole lot as some of you didn't guess that Damon was Dean before the reveal. I wrote the role-plays for a reason and that will be revealed in this chapter (if I still have any readers left, HAHA). Some of you were spot on in guessing what was in the luggage, but I don't think any of you expected for Elena to be without any underwear and bras throughout the trip, HAHA. That was sneaky of Caroline. Well, Jeremy's up next!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 23: Declaration<strong>

"Jer!" she called out as she spotted her brother seated in a corner of a cafe. She squealed excitedly as she flew into his wide open arms and wrapped her own around his broad chest in a crushing hug.

"Lena! I've missed you so much! You look really really great, like you're glowing all over," Jeremy laughed loudly when she refused to let go of him after a few minutes. He grinned broadly at the sight of Damon's approaching figure and amused gaze.

"Elena, I think you should let your poor brother breathe. You didn't come _all_ the way to Italy to kill him by depriving him of air. Come on, clingy," Damon gently pried her fingers off Jeremy's shirt until she reluctantly allowed him to pull her towards his own body.

"Hey, man! Thanks for bringing my sister to Italy," Jeremy fist-bumped his brother-in-law by way of greeting.

"It's my pleasure...literally," Damon muttered the last word under his breath, loud enough so that Elena could hear and it made her blush gorgeously as he'd known it would. "I figured that I'd better bring her now since she's still allowed to fly as a passenger rather than later when her stomach's all huge that the airline will insist I check her in with the rest of our luggage!"

"Hey! No knocking on a pregnant lady's weight or this honeymoon is over right now!" Elena grumbled as she playfully punched his arm.

"I'm sorry, honey," Damon reached over to ruffle her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead while sporting a huge grin on his face. He loved teasing his wife; she makes the best facial expressions ever. "You look gorgeous," he kissed her cheek, "sexy," he kissed her jaw, "adorable," he kissed her nose, "perfect," he kissed her lips. He pulled back and grinned down at her flushed face as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "But you _do_ hit like a girl." His whole body warmed when he heard her charming giggles escaping from her lips.

"Behave yourself, Damon, or I'll-I'll-I'll..." Elena trailed off, unable to think of any threats.

'You'll-you'll-you'll what, stutter me to death? You're completely useless at threatening people, you know that? You'd make a crappy bad guy," he teased as he led her over to a chair opposite her brother and made sure that she was properly seated.

"I know, but I can't threaten when I feel _this_ happy to see Jer," she sighed happily.

"Okay, why don't you two chat and I'll go order us some food and drinks at the counter?" Damon glanced at the siblings and then made his way to the front of the cafe.

Staring in awe at his retreating back, Jeremy turned his gaze at his sister's smiling face across from him. "I must say, you both look like you've come a long way since I saw you last. I've never seen you so happy before and Damon, he just can't seem to stop smiling and touching you. It's like you're newlyweds!"

"Well, yeah, we kinda are. We've basically put everything out in the open, talked about things, came to an understanding, and now we're just in a _really_ good place right now. He's sweet, honest, thoughtful, caring and extremely generous. He's just...really great and wonderful to me," Elena admitted shyly.

"He's also too damn good-looking for his own good; _look_ at him over there, being a chick-magnet," Jeremy gestured towards Damon who was standing at the counter, waiting for his order and looking handsome in his dark jeans, black t-shirt and leather jacket while blatantly ignoring the flirtatious waitress behind the counter. He almost looked annoyed at her forwardness as she smiled lasciviously at him.

"I trust him, Jer. I know he won't do anything to hurt me," she smiled softly as she observed his profile, and it was at _that_ precise moment that he turned his gaze towards their table and met Elena's brown eyes, filled with so much trust and unsaid feelings. His whole expression lit up as their eyes communicated their love for one another over the span of the crowded cafe.

"Okay, enough with the eye-sex thing. God! You both _really_ act like newlyweds, it's disgusting!" Jeremy commented, earning him a swift kick on his shin. "Ouch!"

"It's romantic," she countered.

"It's nauseating and inappropriate," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

"What's nauseating and inappropriate?" Damon spoke up as he carried a full tray with him and set it on the table before taking a seat next to Elena.

"You _both_ are, with your googly eyes and the whole kissy thing," Jeremy supplied a re-enactment of their behavior, making Elena giggle.

"You mean _this_ kissy thing?" Damon proceeded to grab Elena's face and planted a wet kiss on her lips, holding her head still against his as he slid his lips on hers. She let out a squeal and attempted to block Jeremy's view by covering his eyes.

"Urggh, get a room!" Jeremy muttered, averting his eyes in disgust. Damon released his wife with the biggest Cheshire grin on his handsome mug.

"Finally, a Gilbert who knows what he's talking about. Elena, listen to your brother. We should go get a room," Damon wiggled his eyebrows lewdly, making her laugh.

"No, thanks. I'd rather stay here and spend some quality time with my brother whom I haven't seen in too long! I didn't come all the way to Italy to be holed up in a room with you, Damon. Okay, at least not for the whole duration of the stay," she hastily added when she caught his expression.

"Fine, you have precisely two hours to catch up. Starting...now! Go," Damon lifted his left arm and pressed a timer on his watch, watching the seconds ticked by as he lifted his brow at Elena. "What? You said qua-li-ty time, ergo...limited. You have 1 hour, 59 minutes and 45 seconds to go. Tick tock. 40 seconds, 39, 38, 37..." he counted.

He almost burst out in laughter when Elena blanched, realizing that he was serious and actually expected her to spend less than two hours with her only brother. Shaking her head, she asked Jeremy about his life in Turin, the city known for its cultural and artistic events, namely artistic exhibitions.

Surprisingly, Damon joined in their conversation, appearing to be quite knowledgeable about the city and was even able to name most of the city's more memorable Art Nouveau architectural buildings. He seemed to be genuinely interested in Jeremy's art course, and encouraged him to visit some other more remote places around the outskirts that had interesting artistic properties but were lesser known.

For the first time in her life, Elena was happy to sit back and listen to their conversation, her heart swelling with pride that the two most important men in her life were getting along superbly and that they seemed to have bonded. She didn't mind that Damon was unknowingly hogging Jeremy's attention away from her, and that she wasn't even half-listening to all the art lingos in their conversation. What struck her most as she watched them was how charismatic and confident Damon appeared to be, and that was merely a glimpse of how he usually was in the corporate world. She had never seen him at work so she had no idea of his demeanor in the office, or if he acted authoritatively with his staff. What she knew was what he chose to show her at home; the sweet, playful, caring man he was with her. She'd also seen his loving self whenever he's with Stefan and his mother, and dare she say it, even Caroline. But _now_, here in a little cafe in Turin, she could see the man whom Jeremy could look up to, a positive role model that was severely lacking in his life.

"Elena? 'Lena! Umm, is zoning out with a creepy smile on her face a side effect from being pregnant?" Jeremy asked Damon when his sister just stared unseeingly with a wide smile.

"I wouldn't know, it's the first I've seen. Elena, sweetie, are you tired? Do you want to go back to the hotel?" Damon's smooth voice penetrated through her brain where her brother's didn't, and she instantly snapped out of her musings about the perfect man that she married.

"Hmm? I'm not hungry. So Jer, what do you like about Turin?" she asked distractedly.

"Errmmm, we've already talked about that, Elena. That kinda steps on the first question you asked me earlier. Are you sure you're okay?" Jeremy narrowed his eyes worriedly on her.

"That's awesome. So, are you dating anyone?" she asked, failing to notice Damon's curious gaze on her.

"Umm, not really. I mean, the girls here are hot, but I'm only going to be here for a couple more months, so I'm not looking for anything. Besides, there's a girl I'm kinda interested in at home. We haven't been on an official date yet, but we definitely connected when I was back for your wedding," Jeremy smiled shyly as he blushed.

"That's great, Jer! Have I met her? Do I know her? What's her name? Do you keep in touch?" she asked enthusiastically at the prospect of her little brother finally finding someone he was interested in. He had never expressed any interests in girls before; it was always sketching, video games, and facebook. In fact, there was a time when Jenna even wondered if he was gay.

"Hang on, I'm not telling you anything," he laughed nervously. "We're just friends for now, and we do chat on and off, but we're not exactly _there_ yet. So just chill, okay? I'll tell you when and _if_ it...progresses."

"Alright, fine! But can't you just tell me her name? Just _one_ name and I'll chill, but when you're ready to tell me, you have to give me _details_, okay? I want to meet the girl who can make you blush," she smiled happily.

"Sweetie, leave the boy alone. As a specie, we men generally don't like to share anything unless we want to. We do not possess the 'blurt-everything-out' chromosome that you girls seem to have in abundance. He'll tell you when he's ready and not a moment before that. But if it's serious, he _will_ introduce her to you, because you're his only sister and he loves you," Damon said, rubbing his hands along her stiff back, trying to get her to loosen up and relax. He was still curious to know what made her so distracted a moment ago. He hoped it wasn't anything to worry about.

"Yeah, what _he_ said," Jeremy grinned and nodded in agreement, relieved that she seemed willing to let it go for now. He really didn't know how she'd react if she knew about his secret crush.

"Okay, I'll back off, but I hope this doesn't make you both think that it's okay to gang up on me!" she shot a warning to them both.

"We would never!" the two men declared in unison, holding their right hand up with the thumb and pinky folded down and three remaining fingers extended straight up, in a classic 'Scout's Honor sign. Then, they turned to each other and burst out laughing. Elena rolled her eyes at their childishness and resumed eating her food, forgetting her statement that she wasn't hungry a moment ago.

* * *

><p>Despite Damon's half-serious two-hour timer countdown, the trio spent the rest of the afternoon roaming the streets of Turin, squeezing in some sight-seeing and visits to Jeremy's favorite hangout spots. All too soon, it was time for them to leave Jeremy behind and proceed to Florence, where Damon's ancestral home was.<p>

"I'm gonna miss you so much! _Both_ of you," Jeremy caught Damon's eyes over the brunette head of the sobbing girl he was hugging. They were standing in the train station, about to embark on a one-way trip to Florence.

"I'll miss you too, Jer! Will you promise to call and write or e-mail? I need to know how you are at _all_ times, okay? We've never spent so long apart before, especially now that our parents are...gone. You know you can talk to me about anything, right? Anything at all. I'll be there for you," Elena pulled back and gave him a soft smile despite the tears coursing down her face.

"I'll be fine, 'Lena. I'll be back in two months so I will see you really soon. Don't worry about me. Just do me a favor and just look after my little niece or nephew in there," he gestured to her belly.

"We'll _both_ do that," Damon spoke up from behind her, pulling her to his body and wrapping a comforting arm around her as she buried her head against his chest. "We have to leave now if we don't wanna miss our ride. Take care, Jer and we'll see you soon. Go," Damon mouthed that last word with a sharp tilt of his head, signalling the younger guy to head home before Elena broke down again. She was an emotional wreck due to her pregnancy hormones and he felt helpless not being able to do anything about it.

"Alright, I'll leave you here and head out. Be safe, okay?" Jeremy clapped his brother-in-law on the back and pressed a quick kiss on the back of Elena's head before walking towards the exit.

"Bye, Jer!" Elena called out weakly and sighed wearily, her eyes puffy from all the crying she was doing.

"Come on, we have a train to be on," he held onto her with one hand and pulled their luggage along with the other as he led her towards the platform.

* * *

><p>Florence was breathtaking, thanks to its cuisine and panoramic views. The city was steeped in culture, history, Renaissance art and architecture. It was also an important city for fashion, something that Elena wasn't that enthusiastic about, but she could appreciate the fact that Caroline might enjoy herself there.<p>

Their first few days were spent doing the whole touristy routine, and as usual, it didn't come as a surprise that Damon was also familiar with the history and places of interests.

"Tell me, are there any countries or cities on this planet that you're not familiar with?" Elena asked with amusement one day.

"Well, there's India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. I haven't been to those places before. Oh, and Japan. But I'd like to take you to Japan one day soon, and see that Hidalgo dog statue that you like so much," he grinned down at her, noticing that she looked confused for a split second.

"Hidalgo's a horse. I think you meant Hachiko. I'm surprised that you remembered that," she said in amazement.

"Of course I remember. I remember everything about you, but most of all, it's kinda hard to forget the dog that made you break down in tears. I thought someone had died," he gave a wobbly smile as he remembered coming home one night to find her desolated over a movie character played by a dog.

"Someone _did_ die! Hachiko! That dog is a legend, so no making fun of him, got it?"

"I'm not! I just told you that I'd take you to see the statue! Does that sound like I'm making fun of him? Anyway, is there anywhere else you want to go, places you wanna see? Out of Italy, I mean," he asked, eager to plan another trip with her again soon.

"I don't know, since I haven't been anywhere, I guess I don't have a preference. I'll go wherever you go. Do you go on business trips? Maybe I could just tag along one day," she suggested.

"Sure, but then you know I'm never gonna get any work done on those trips if you go with me, right? I'd be too busy being naked with you in a hotel room to even care about meetings. But it's a great idea, sweetie, we'll just have to plan around it. Now, are you ready to go see my ancestral home? Then, we can do some souvenir shopping for our meddlesome friends back home if you want. I know Caroline will probably kill us if we go home empty-handed," he visibly shuddered at the certainty of being hounded day and night by her incessant high-pitched voice going a mile a minute if they didn't bring back _something_ to appease her.

Elena agreed in anticipation. She was genuinely interested to see the place where the long line of Salvatore's lived since the 1660's. Even if Damon and Stefan hadn't been born there, just knowing that they had a rich family history that originated from Italy was amazing enough.

As their rented limo approached the colossal building, Elena inhaled sharply when she realized that the 'home' Damon referred to was indeed a palace, aptly named as Palazzo Salvatore. The Roman-style architecture spanned the length of at least seven foot fields and the land surrounding the building went as far as the eye can see. It was situated on the south side of River Arno and had been converted into an art gallery since the 19th century.

"I can't believe your family owned this property! And to live in such a place...it's so..." Elena didn't know what to say to describe what she was looking at.

"Overwhelming? Spooky? I hear you. I used to think that it'll take days or even weeks to find anyone in this place. It's a beautiful piece of property on a prime location, but there's something just so foreboding about it, like it's about to swallow you up whole if you aren't careful. But I guess this was how people with old money used to live," he shrugged casually, dismissing the massive estate as if it was merely an old house as opposed to the intimidating palace it was.

"For me, our two-storey three bedroom house is much more our style. It's spacious enough for an intimate gathering for family and friends, but yet we don't feel overwhelmed by the size. It's perfect. I love everything about it. It's a dream come true for me, so thank you," she reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him close for a gentle kiss.

"Okay, time to get out of this dump and do some obligatory shopping. I wanted to bring you somewhere special tonight for dinner. I think that you'll love it," he smiled happily at her as she slipped her hand into his and returned to their limo.

* * *

><p>Three hours later, after some souvenir-shopping and a lot of Euros being spent, they headed back to their hotel room and rested before they showered and changed for dinner. He was dressed in his trademark black attire; black slacks, a John Varvatos buttoned shirt and his leather jacket. She wore one of the dresses that Caroline had packed for her, a grey one-shouldered dress that came down to her knees. Their hands linked as he led her out of the hotel, but to her surprise, he didn't order a taxi or a limo this time. Instead, he turned left as they exited the hotel's grand entrance and took a stroll along the brightly lit sidewalk, observing the night life of the city.<p>

The evening was bustling with activities, people walking around and entering restaurants, couples strolling arm-in-arm much like _they_ were, and pedestrians crossing the roads. Florence was a romantic city, with the cobblestone roads, clear skies with twinkling stars up above, the gentle wind blowing along their skin and hair, and coming across beautiful classical fountains as they walked. It was a magical city, and a magical night. Of course, they wouldn't be Damon and Elena if strangers of the opposite sex didn't turn to stare at them as they passed, noticing their physical traits. But while it was their good looks that drew gazes, it was the fact they seemed completely enamored with each other that held their attention. One could not help but to admire and even envy this foreign couple who appeared to be genuinely in love and more importantly, happy and satisfied to be in each other's company, oblivious to everyone's thoughts about them.

Their stroll came to an end when Damon led her into a quaint little restaurant and lounge, where live music was being played by a local band. He signaled the maitre d' who nodded and led the way to a corner table, away from the band.

"Does this place remind you of anywhere in particular?" Damon asked once they were seated and ordered their meal.

She looked around and studied the place with keen eyes. Then she turned her breathtaking face to his and smiled. "It looks like the bar where we met," she said softly.

"Exactly. I thought it fitting to spend our final night in Italy in a setting much like the one where we met, and had our first date, first kiss, and first dance. There were a lot of firsts that night, for you and for me as well. We've come a full circle, Elena, and though we had a magical night that day, what followed were a series of unfortunate events that led to a lot of pain for both of us, although there _were_ some positive moments, especially the week before our wedding, and of course, getting married to you. But I want us to start anew, as if tonight was our first date. Starting from tonight, we'll put all our previous insecurities and doubts behind us. That means, no more talks about my past or any nonsense of being inexperienced and all that. We're a team now, on even ground and I would love it if we can just focus on our marriage and the arrival of our future baby. That's all I care about now," he told her in a sincere voice.

"But we _can't_ totally ignore what happened the past few months, Damon. We're so much stronger now as a result of what we went through. It's the reason why we're now so open and honest to each other, and I don't want to lose that. It'll make us appreciate the fact that we are able to get through everything all the more. But yes, we _do_ need to start over in a way, and we'll start with me not dredging up your past anymore, if you'll agree to not being jealous over every single male who so much as talks to me. If we're gonna trust each other, then we _trust_ _each other_. Don't start insulting Dr. Michaels and Elijah just because you _think_ they want something more than friendship with me. You said that you have never cheated on anyone before, and neither have I, nor _will_ I in the future. Besides, not _everyone_ wants to get into my pants. I have to get used to women ogling and throwing themselves at you but I do know that you won't do anything to hurt me, not even sparing them a glance. I saw how you reacted to that waitress at the counter where we had lunch with Jeremy the other day, and I never doubted you for a second. So, just extend the same trust to me," Elena said, linking her fingers with his on the table, warming his hands.

"Agreed, although I still have doubts that Elijah's really gay. He's too...suave to be gay. Maybe he's bisexual but doesn't know it. But anyway," he hastily changed the subject when she looked at him with evident exasperation on her face, "here's to a fresh start, Mrs. Salvatore," he raised his champagne glass in the air.

"To a fresh start, Mr. Salvatore," she replied with a happy grin, raising her glass of water and clinked with his before taking a sip each.

They spent the rest of the meal talking about their future plans, about the baby, about the various ways in bringing Stefan and Caroline together. By the time they finished eating, they were both relaxed and chuckling over each other's suggestions to force them to admit their attraction to one another, each one getting more and more outrageous than the last one. The ideas ranged from kidnapping and throwing them into a dark dungeon for days, to planning a holiday for the whole gang to have everyone else cancel at the very last possible second, leaving only Stef and Care in that trip. Eager to proceed with the next thing on his list of things to do that night, he left some Euros on the table to cover the bill, and stood up from the table.

"Mrs. Salvatore, would you care to dance with me?" he extended his arm to her and waited for her reply.

"Yes, I would love to dance with you, Mr. Salvatore. Shall I take off my shoes and stand on your toes like I did the last time?" she asked playfully as she took his arm and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor in front of the band to join the other couples.

"You can do whatever you want, stand on my toes or wrap your legs around my waist; just hold on to me and don't let go. I just need to feel you in my arms," he whispered tenderly and then their bodies came together like long-lost halves as they swayed in time to the music, eyes locked on each other's, hands around the other's back. After a while, an idea formed in his head.

"So who do you want to ravish you tonight? Dante, the Latin ballroom dancer who will literally sweep you off your feet, or Dominic, the rough and tough street dancer from the bad side of town?"

"Neither. Tonight, I just want Damon, my sweet, caring husband whom I married. Daniel, Dean and all the others were great, but they're all characters designed as if I've been with other men besides you. I know you did that to make up for your previous sex life, but I'm really okay with you being my one and only. Don't get me wrong, I love the different emotions that each character evoke in me, but it wasn't the character that I responded to; it was the man underneath it, the one who can make my whole body tremble just by a single look or a soft kiss. If it were anyone else other than you, my body wouldn't have reacted the way it does only around you. No one else can make me feel the way you do. I just want the _real_ you," she looked directly into his clear blue eyes as she said that, trying to convey all her feelings for him with that one look.

"I'm only me when I'm with you, the _real_ me," he whispered and gathered her even tighter in his arms, still moving to the slow song. "Love me, Elena," she felt his breath against her ear.

"I do, always," she whispered back, her eyes clenched shut to stop her tears from spilling, a result of the profound moment they just shared. She felt him pull his head back a little and then his lips were on hers, so gentle and soft, so fitting for the romantic moment. His lips were unhurried, relaxed, as if he had all the time in the world, and they kissed as if they were the only two people in the room, lost to everything and everyone around them. It was their very first kiss all over again.

An eternity later, he lifted his head and they just closed their eyes and resumed dancing in each other's arms, not quite willing to break the spell yet.

* * *

><p>An hour later, they strolled back to their hotel, hands clasped tightly as they made their way to the elevators. It had been a perfect evening out, somewhat appropriate for the last night of their honeymoon before they had to depart the next morning. They rode the lift in companionable silence, each left to their own thought of the realization that they'd be going back to New York the next day, back to their normal lives and reality. Although they felt rather melancholy about leaving, they also felt eager to start their real lives together as a truly married couple. They both knew that they had to return to face their real life sooner or later, but somehow it didn't seem so scary knowing that they were in this together, as a team now. Katherine and the Lockwoods had to be dealt with, it was almost time for another check-up with Dr. Michaels, and they had to get the nursery done up too. But right now, the night wasn't over and the real world can wait for one more day.<p>

They walked side by side along the corridor to their room, and before Elena could grasp what happened, her whole world tilted as Damon lifted her in his arms, bridal style.

"Damon, what-why-?" she exclaimed in surprise.

"I just wanted to carry you over the threshold," he explained as he scanned the room card, pressed down on the handle and pushed the door open with his foot. Once inside, he pushed the door closed and paused as she locked and latched the door. Heading over to the bed, he reluctantly set her down on the floor beside it.

Once his hands were free, he immediately wrapped his fingers around the sides of her neck and lowered his head to hers, kissing her again, this time, not so gently, but not hurried either. He just poured everything he felt for her into that kiss, and he wished he could keep going forever. He only parted from her when they both needed to breathe, and he leaned his forehead against hers, their eyes still closed as they recovered from their steamy make-out.

"Damon, make love to me the way we should've on our wedding night. Tonight's about doing over everything that went wrong in the past, and what should have been the happiest night of our lives turned out to be one of the most painful. We need to move past what Katherine did to us that night. Will you show me how you would have spent that night with me if nothing went wrong?" she pled, needing him in a way she has never needed anyone else before.

"Yes, but first, I want you to do something for me," he whispered against her lips and then pulled back and reached into his pocket. He pulled out two rings. "I was hoping and praying that by some miracle, you'd be willing to wear your wedding ring again. Will you wear it now?"

"Yes," she breathed out happily and she couldn't help but grin widely as he slid her gorgeous ring on her finger before she took his and repeated the same motion to him. His heart bursting with elation, he held her closer to him and tilted her head up to meet his serious gaze.

"You know I'd never let you go again, right?" his eyes searched hers as he tightened his grip.

"Promise?"

"I promise," he replied huskily, and then he sealed it with another kiss, this time he didn't intend to stop until their bodies joined together as one. He shrugged off his jacket and it slid down his arms to the floor. Then, he reached behind her dress to unzip it, pushing the single strap off her shoulder until it too, followed his jacket. He made a mental note to thank Caroline for having the foresight to exclude Elena's lingerie while packing as she stood before him gloriously naked.

Her hands lifted from her sides and she deftly unbuttoned his shirt, parting them to reveal his smooth chest as her hands worshipped his body. She leaned in to press her lips against his pectoral muscle as her hands were now busy undoing his belt and zipper of his slacks. When they were undone, he stepped out of his pants and pressed himself against her naked flesh, letting her know that he was also bare beneath his slacks. She pulled him to the bed and they let their bodies sink down onto the mattress with a bounce, and they adjusted themselves until she was leaning back against the pillows with him hovering over her, his body barely touching hers.

He lifted his right hand, and ran the back of his fingers against her left cheek, stroking softly and making his way down the side of her neck, her shoulders, the valley between her breasts, pausing at her swollen belly. His eyes gazed down on where their child lay nestled within her, and his eyes misted at the thought of the life growing inside. He couldn't imagine having a child with anyone other than Elena now, and he thanked God for the miracle that brought her into his life, fulfilling every single wish he hadn't realised he had before he met her. Lovingly, he splayed both his palms on her belly and he leaned down to press a kiss directly on the bump.

"I can't wait to meet you, little one," he whispered against her quivering flesh as she ran her fingers in his thick raven hair. Then, he ran a finger down between her thighs, seeking for proof that she was ready for him, and he found it. He raised his wet finger to her lips, and his eyes darkened with lust when her lips parted wide enough to suck his finger gently, tasting herself. There would be time for foreplay later, but for now, he needed her so badly that he thought he'd die if he didn't have her wrapped around him soon. And from the looks of things, she needed him just as badly.

He lifted his body up and parted her legs, bending her knees so that he could nestle his body between them. Careful not to crush her with his weight, he positioned himself at her entrance, poised to be joined with her very very soon. His hands searched for hers and they found them next to her head. He joined their hands together and keeping eye contact with her, he surged his hips forward, effectively joining them together. He watched her gasp at the contact and then she let out a low moan.

He buried himself deeply within her, all the while maintaining eye contact, refusing to even blink. It was a very different experience when they both had their gaze on each other; he knew exactly what she felt when he started moving against her, he could tell exactly when he hit a particularly sensitive spot, her expressive face giving away everything. He could feel their souls reaching out to each other, and the whole experience was heightened by that deep connection, so much so that he could feel himself almost at the precipice.

Intending to let her achieve her release first, he sped up his thrusting, withdrawing until only the tip was left just inside her and then plunging all the way until the hilt. He repeated the movements until he could hear the difference of her breathing, shallow, panting breaths and the small sounds she made in her throat. He could see her struggling to keep her eyes open as they were almost half-closed now from the pleasure he was invoking in her.

He gripped her hands even tighter now, aware of the risk that he might hurt her, but she was returning his firm grip on his own hands. He tilted his angle of penetration and resumed his thrusts, fearing that he won't be able to last long enough to bring her to completion first. He heard her breathing hitch, and her whole body started shuddering, and he suddenly shouted out, "God, I love you, I love you, I love you!" He couldn't hold his declaration in anymore; the last time he said it was the night he was beaten to a pulp by John and she was already half asleep by then. This time, there was no mistaking it; she heard him, loud and clear. And then her whole body reacted to his declaration, convulsing wildly as she came around him. At the peak of her orgasm, she finally said the four words he forever seared in his brain, "I love you, Damon!"

He felt the words wash over him, renewing his strength and pushing everything up a notch. He recognised it, welcomed it, and let his body respond to it as his arousal erupted within her, filling her with his essence, giving his all to her. And he'd keep giving everything he had to her, even his own life.

For Elena loved him, and for the first time in his life, he was blessed.

* * *

><p><strong>I know this is a far cry than my usual smut, but I was quite taken aback by the M rating description on the main page of FanFiction on the June 4th notices. So, I didn't want to go into such great detail as I normally would...it seriously messed up my writing. Darn it!<strong>

**Sorry for the long rant in my Author's Note on top, felt rather disheartened over a comment that I had to set the record straight. Hope I didn't piss off anyone. If I did, I didn't mean to. Sigh, authors sure are temperamental people, aren't we?**

**As usual, like it, love it, or hate it, READ AND REVIEW. Appreciate it!**

**p.s.: Next chapter: back to New York to catch up with all the other characters I left behind. **


	24. Chapter 24

**The honeymoon's over, and it's time to go back to the real world of corporate espionage, spy exes, meddlesome friends, pregnancy, etc.**

**Before that, a little nostalgia never hurt anybody!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24: Home<strong>

It was with mixed feelings when Damon and Elena walked through the boarding gate to embark into the first-class zone. On one hand, they missed everyone at home and they couldn't wait to start their lives officially as husband and wife – none of that platonic relationship nonsense. But on the other hand, they were extremely reluctant to leave the safe cocoon they felt when it was just the two of them on their honeymoon; no external forces threatening to tear them apart, no annoying friends who think they have every right to drop in unannounced and intrude in their relationship (though most times, Damon was grateful for their help).

He was considering Ric's advice to him when he was getting checked out at the hospital, the day after his little run-in with John Gilbert. His buddy was right; he hadn't handled his reactions to Elena well at all; jumping to conclusions, flying off into a jealous rage, feeling insecure over her association with good-looking men, and the lowest of the low – hiring a private investigator to spy on her with Elijah. _Oh boy!_ He was gonna have to own up to _that_ one, after all, he _did_ promise that he'd be honest with her. He wasn't about to start a new life with her by hiding the fact that he doubted her for even a second. _Oh boy!_

"Elena," he started to say when they were finally settled into their first-class seats, "there-there's something I have to tell you." He sounded uncertain and a little apprehensive, even worried. This, in turn, worried her, especially when she had noticed how distracted he was as they boarded the plane.

"Yes, what is it, Damon?" her eyes were guarded as she waited patiently for him to tell her what's bothering him. It sounded...serious, and potentially catastrophic for them both. Suddenly, she didn't want to know anymore.

"I need to confess something." _Oh boy, here we go._ "I-I did something I'm not proud of, but I wanted you to know anyway, you know, in the spirit of honesty and all that," he paused, taking a deep breath, hating himself for his obsessive need to prove the innocence or guilt of Elena's relationship with the reporter at the time. She swallowed audibly and waited in silence for him to continue.

"I-" Damon began but was interrupted by a female voice.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. and Mrs. Morning-Sickness-In-The-Bathroom. Fancy meeting you again on the return flight," the female voice said from beside Damon, and they both looked up to find themselves under scrutiny by Ms. Red-Head, the stewardess who was on the red eye flight to Milan.

"Err, hello again," he smiled politely and averted his eyes, looking very much like the cat that swallowed the canary.

"I hope that there won't be a repeat of the bathroom incident on _this_ flight," Ms. Red-Head raised an eyebrow as a stern warning to the couple.

"I suppose I can swallow back the need to upchuck," Elena said through gritted teeth, much to Damon's amusement.

"I sincerely hope you would, Mrs. Salvatore. Have a pleasant flight," she smiled sweetly and proceeded to greet the other passengers while helping them with their luggage.

"I feel so naughty after being reprimanded by Ms. Red-Head, don't you?" Damon whispered cheekily, wiggling his eyebrows in that completely attractive way of his.

"Damon," she shook her head from sideways, "forget about her. What were you going to say?"

"I-I-I love you?" he stuttered, suddenly unsure of himself.

"Damon!" she whined, unable to contain her curiosity. Her imagination had run wild by now, various scenarios creeping into her head, each one worse than the one before. He's a spy for the CIA; he has a son or a daughter with an ex; he had a drug problem; he's a cross-dresser; he was actually a girl and had a sex-change – explains his long eyelashes; he left Mr. Cuddles at the hotel. The possibilities were endless!

"Alright, alright! Just don't...be angry until you've heard me out," a feeling of impending doom came over her, and she wished that he'd just hurry up and tell her whatever it was that had him so nervous. "On your birthday, I hired a guy to...follow you and Elijah. That's how I knew that he was in our house that afternoon. Well, you know about the rest, just not about me hiring someone. I was being incredibly stupid and insecure, and the thought of you and Elijah meeting behind my back just drove me so crazy that I just...made a stupid decision. It wasn't that I didn't trust you, because I do, but I didn't want you to be taken advantage of. I thought you should know because I didn't want to hide anything from you anymore. I mean that," he admitted in earnest, crossing his fingers that she won't get angry with him.

"Wait a minute, you-you hired someone to spy on me? On my birthday? And you just decide to tell me _now_, after everything we went through to finally get to a place where we're the happiest we've ever been?" her wide brown eyes searched his guilt-ridden face.

"Umm, y-yes? Are you angry with me? Because I can't really tell just by looking into your big doe-eyes. Are we still...happy?" he asked nervously, unable to read her expression so he didn't know what to expect.

To his complete surprise, she burst out laughing. She just covered her mouth with her left palm and let out an unladylike bellow until tears of mirth sprang to her eyes.

"Elena, what is it? Are you laughing because you're upset or because you think it's funny, what?" he was bewildered at her insane reaction and even wondered if she _had_ gone completely mental. She was, after all, pregnant. Perhaps pregnant ladies react in a completely different way. She still failed to react other than to giggle uncontrollably and reached over to give him a hug, much to his mounting frustration at being clueless.

"Okay, that's enough, Elena! I demand to know why you're pleased with me!" he frowned at her as she tried valiantly to breathe.

"You are so adorable, you know that?" she gave him a wobbly smile as she gazed at him in wonder. "Perhaps I _should_ be upset, but I'm not. You may have over-reacted with the whole spy thing when you could have just asked me about it, but I find it...endearing that you'd go to all the trouble to know if Elijah and I had a secret agenda, and _now_, you're actually telling me about it even though your honesty may just blow up in your face. I've never had anyone do that for me before; being so possessive because you didn't want to lose me. I think you're awesome," she leaned in and pecked him on the cheek as he stared at her as if she grew another head.

"But I-I doubted you. And I judged you when I should've given you a chance to defend yourself! I made you spend your birthday alone at home, waiting for me while I was at the bar, drowning my sorrows. I made you worry, I didn't even get to eat the dinner you cooked for us, and I didn't even call or leave a message! I sucked as a husband! Why aren't you mad?" he asked, confused.

"Damon, we weren't in the same place then as we are _now_. You had doubts about me, as I had doubts about you! In fact, I drove myself crazy as I sat there waiting for you to come home, imagining you in the arms of another woman who could give you things I didn't want to give you at the time. It's _my_ own fault that I pushed you away, and I still kick myself for being so stubborn! But all that doesn't matter anymore because it's in the past, and we're much stronger than ever. We can't let any small minor thing come between us, we just can't. But I'm glad you told me the truth, and I love you for it," she held his head with both of her hands and brought him closer to her as she pressed her lips against his. His heart exploded with relief as he returned her kiss, pressing himself closer to her as he deepened the kiss. It didn't matter that they were in public, namely, the first-class compartment of a plane. The only thing that mattered was that they no longer had anything to hide; everything was out in the open, no more secrets that can jeopardize their relationship. His tongue delved into her mouth, touching hers, sending shivers down her spine and she moaned at the electrifying contact.

Somehow, somewhere, the sound of a throat clearing managed to penetrate into their hazy mind. Damn it! It was that no-fun Ms. Red-Head again, and this time, her expression was downright annoyed.

"Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore, this is a family-friendly flight and there are children on board. May I please remind you to keep your displays of affection down to a minimum, meaning hand-holding?" the redhead asked, her eyes shooting daggers at their inappropriate PDAs.

"Sorry, she had hiccups!" Damon responded with a shrug, making Elena bite back her giggle again.

"Hiccups?" the stewardess repeated, shaking her head in disbelief. "Fine, we are taking off now, so please fasten your seatbelts." With a huge sigh, she walked off to take her own seat for take-off.

"I'd complain about the customer service on this airline but she's absolutely right. You _are_ shamelessly displaying your affections for me in a public place," Damon wagged his finger at Elena's indignant expression.

"_I'm_ shameless? Hey, it takes two sets of lips to kiss, and _you_ were the one who involved your tongue first! Mine was a completely innocent kiss until you turned it...obscene," she replied self-righteously.

"Fine! I'm guilty of hiring the spy and also for turning a G-rated kiss to an R-rated one. I'm also guilty of loving you so much that I've turned into a besotted fool and kept getting reprimanded by the mean redhead. But I _do_ love you," he admitted happily, feeling all was right in the world again. No World War Three in sight.

"Prove it. Prove that you love me. Act like a poor besotted fool," Elena said suddenly.

"Alright. How do you want me to do that? Another round in the restroom?" he suggested jokingly.

"No, it's broad daylight! Prove it by bringing Mr. Cuddles down for me now," she challenged with an eyebrow lift.

To her surprise, he unbuckled his belt and stood up, just as the plane started its slow motion towards the runway for take-off. Elena waited nervously as she kept an eye out for the mean stewardess to appear for another round of judgy eyes. She watched Damon reached up to the overhead compartment, unzipped his luggage and took out her bear before he zipped the bag up again. As expected, Ms. Red-Head made her reappearance and boy, was she mad!

"Mr. Salvatore! What do you think you're doing? The seatbelt sign is on and we're about to reach the runway! Why is the overhead cabin open?" she reached up and slammed the door shut, narrowly missing his fingers by half a second. She eyed the bear suspiciously as he passed Mr. Cuddles to Elena who hugged him to her chest immediately for fear that the mean stewardess would confiscate it.

"Sorry, panic attack! My wife is deathly afraid of flying and the only thing that calms her down is the bear," he said by way of explanation.

"I've had enough of you two. Now, sit the fuck down and buckle up!" she snapped in a low voice as she glowered at him. Damon obediently sat back down and re-fastened his seatbelt, turning to the redhead one last time.

"I apologize, but I don't think the word 'fuck' is family-friendly at all. Children are so impressionable these days, don't you think so?" he asked innocently, enjoying himself immensely as he watched her eyes widened until they were about to pop out of the socket. She turned around abruptly and disappeared behind the curtain without another word.

"You see how much I love you? I almost got killed getting Mr. Cuddles for you," he rolled his eyes at the bear before he flashed a grin at Elena.

"You're my hero. I promised I'll show you how grateful I am as soon as we reach home. If I can even wait that long. I'm...going commando, upstairs _and_ downstairs," she lowered her voice huskily as she leaned in to breathe in his ear.

His breathing hitched as he heard her loud and clear, and he turned his penetrating smouldering blue eyes to her face, before letting them sweep down to her chest and finally, resting on the tops of her thighs, as if he can see through the dress she was wearing if he stared hard enough. As the plane sped up on the runway and finally lift off into the skies, he felt his arousal lift up as well, making him wish they had taken the red eye flight again. It was going to be an extremely long and painful flight.

Blankets, he needed blankets!

* * *

><p>Damnit, he couldn't wait to get her home! The taxi they had chartered was taking its own sweet time manoeuvring through the streets of New York. As expected, it was an excruciating flight and now, finally, he was mere minutes away from reaching home and getting some much needed alone time with his wife. His bare, naked wife underneath that dress she was wearing. He decided right there and then that he was buying a helicopter. For emergencies such as these!<p>

Twenty minutes later, the taxi pulled up in front of their lawn, and he heaved a sigh of relief. In sixty more seconds, he would be in his house, with their luggage and his wife would be on the sofa with her dress bunched around her waist. He pulled out a few notes, not even bothering to look at the denomination and hastily thrusted the notes into the driver's hand. It must have been more than enough since his eyes widened with shock as he glanced at the money in his palm.

Damon couldn't be bothered to thank him since he was carrying both their luggage bags and rolling them along the path that led to their main door. As soon as Elena unlocked the heavy timber door, he all but kicked the door in and threw the bags inside and then she was in his arms.

Then he heard one single word that threatened his sanity, and he almost thought it worthwhile to be imprisoned for mass murder.

"SURPRISE!" several voices shouted in unison from the living room.

The couple standing just inside the front door, still in each other's embrace, turned towards the sound and sure enough, there stood their friends or, as Damon would call it, 'would-be-victims-of-arson'. All five of them were standing around the sofa with party hats on, Bonnie and Jenna blowing out colourful blowouts from their mouths, Stefan and Ric holding up a "Welcome Home" banner while whistling loudly, and then Caroline came bounding up to the dazed couple, throwing confetti on them.

"Oh my God, we've missed you sooooo much! You have _no_ idea! How was the trip? You have to tell me _everything_! Did you go shopping? Did you see Jeremy? Where are our souvenirs? You did buy souvenirs for us, didn't you?" said the ever-bubbly Caroline who spoke in her usual running-off-at-the-mouth speed. She pulled Elena in for a hug, ignoring Damon's tight grip on his wife and deadly glare, and then tugged her along into the living room where she then found herself the recipient of hugs from the rest of the gang.

Damon watched helplessly as Elena was snatched from his arms and realized that the romantic alone time he had anticipated throughout the flight home was now a thing of the past. He should have known that the moment they stepped off the plane, he was to kiss his private life with his wife goodbye, especially when his god-sister had anything to do about it. For a split second, he actually considered moving away permanently; perhaps relocate to a foreign country or a place unreachable by plane. Like, the North Pole.

Still standing by the front door, fuming at the latest turn of events, he felt rather sorry for 'The General' or as Elena called it, 'Sir-Spits-a-Lot.' Then, as if it wasn't bad enough to have his evening spoilt, his 'victims' started coming over and gave him unwelcomed hugs, which he returned half-heartedly just to be polite. His eyes met Elena's across the room and she shrugged a little along with a knowing look, but she had a wide smile on her face. He sighed inwardly. He suppose he could tolerate their good intentions, however unwanted, but only because she seemed genuinely happy to see them. He knew that she missed them, especially Jenna, Bonnie and maybe even Caroline. Oh well, he _could_ control his arousal and wait until later; they had the rest of the night to be alone _and_ the rest of their lives. He figured he could spare a couple of hours for his friends, after all, he knew that they meant well.

"So, you seem thrilled to see us here," Ric spoke up as he clapped his best friend on the back, knowing how much he hated surprises.

"No kidding, Einstein. In fact, I was looking forward to this very moment the entire time we were in Italy," Damon replied sarcastically, "Oh and Ric? I'm gonna need my 'emergency only' key back, thank you very much."

"Oh sure, of course! I understand perfectly," Ric nodded knowingly as he reached into his pocket and gave the key back to him. "Besides, Caroline already made copies, you know, for emergencies," he gave Damon a thumbs-up sign and refrained from chuckling at his friend's horrified look before making his way back to Jenna in the living room.

"Come on, brother, we've prepared dinner. It's a party after all," Stefan called out to him with a guilty grin, as Damon correctly assumed that his younger brother played no part in planning this little get-together. This party stank of Caroline all over!

Everyone filed into the dining room and took their seats as Damon begrudgingly joined them, pressing a kiss on Elena's cheek before he took his seat at the head of the table. She reached under the table to clasp his hand in hers and that simple act of intimacy did wonders for his patience as he sat down and enjoyed his dinner, listening to his wife regale the others of their honeymoon trip to Italy while they held hands.

Not surprisingly, her description of their entire trip was rather short, seeing as they only left the hotel room to see Jeremy, the Palazzo Salvatore, and a couple of other places of interest, which didn't really leave an impression on her, except for their last night out on a date.

"We saw the Arno river, and I think we walked by the Signoria Square and the Vecchio Palace. We spent more time at Palazzo Salvatore; that place was huge! But seriously, I cannot imagine that place as a home...it's too creepy and impersonal. If all of us were to live there, I don't think we'd even run into each other for days! It's an incredibly lonely place," Elena sighed morosely, thinking to herself that it was lucky Damon didn't live in a palace in Italy.

"Yeah, it's not like _our_ home, where people drop in all the time, mostly uninvited and sometimes, even unwelcomed, right Care?" Damon said teasingly.

"I don't know about you Damon, but I happen to like having people around me all the time. When I have my own place, you're all welcome to drop by whenever you want. I love having company," Caroline said in that perky voice of hers.

"So does misery," Damon muttered under his breath, and felt Elena gave him a warning squeeze with her hand. He felt so comfortable that he had forgotten that they were still holding hands under the table. He decided to behave himself but he needed a distraction, so he turned her palm upwards in his lap and traced her fingers with his own, moving slowly and softly, sending shockwaves down her spine. She glanced at him, intending to warn him with a look but he was concentrating on her hand and not bothering to even look up.

"What about the Cathedral and the Bell Tower? Those are places that are in the top ten lists of places to see in Florence. Then there's also the Boboli Garden and the famous Pitti Palace, not to mention various galleries and museum. Didn't you guys see all that in the four days you were there? What were you guys doing the rest of the time?" Stefan asked.

"Jeez, I can't believe you'd even ask that question. We did what every married couple does on their honeymoon, of course! We played travel scrabble and gin rummy in our room all day," Damon rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation at his brother's dimness. Really, sometimes he wondered how they are even related! "We made love, had crazy monkey sex, played hide the salami, bumped uglies, shagged, danced the horizontal mambo, bumped and grinded, stuffed the turkey, had a bit of the ole' in and out, take your pick on what you wanna call it!"

"Aaaaand now I'm scarred for life," Ric blinked, his face expressionless as he downed his whiskey in one go.

"I'm sorry I asked," Stefan imitated Ric's action and downed his own drink.

"Who are you calling a turkey?" Elena muttered and pouted, pulling her hand back from his distracting ministrations on her palm.

"So I take it you enjoyed my presents? Tell me, which toys did you use on each other? Did you like the negligees I packed for her?" the usually blunt Caroline strikes again in her annoying unfiltered way they've all come to accept, albeit unwillingly.

"Yes, Care, I supposed I owe you a big thank you for saving me precious time by not packing any underwear for my pregnant wife, and yes, I especially loved the sexy negligees on her. In fact, I loved them so much that _I_ was tempted to wear them in bed," Damon responded in any equally blunt manner in an attempt to at least embarrass the blonde enough to shut her up before Elena's face could turn any redder. She looked like she might burst a blood vessel if she blushed even more.

A fork clattered onto a plate and they all turned their amused gazes to find Ric's head buried in his hands. "Aaaaand now I have to go for therapy for the rest of my life to get _that_ mental picture out of my head. Damon, sometimes just a simple 'yes' would suffice," he reminded as he rubbed his temples as if that could erase the last few minutes from his memory.

"Sorry," Damon mouthed apologetically. He looked up in alarm when Elena suddenly stood up beside him. "Hey, where are you going?" he reached out and grabbed her hand before she could escape.

"I'm going to clear up the dishes so that our friends can go home before you decide to re-enact our entire honeymoon for them while you narrate," she sighed wearily as she started to stack empty plates on top of the other.

"Oh, we're not leaving. We've all brought our pyjamas. We're having a slumber party! Surprise!" Caroline screamed excitedly while the others just looked at each other with uncertainty. It sounded like a fun idea when Caroline suggested it, or more like insisted upon it, but now they weren't sure they'd be welcomed or even if they'd make it out alive by tomorrow.

"Seriously? A slumber party? What are we, twelve? I might have expected this from you, Care, but Ric and Jenna? You guys are the adults here, why can't you just ground the kids in their own home and let Elena and I enjoy our post-honeymoon night at home alone?" Damon asked.

"We would, but have you tried saying no to Caroline when she gets one of those hair-brained ideas in her head? It's just easier to go along with her than to fight her, but we totally understand if you want us to go," said Jenna in her down-to-earth way. She was happy to see how close the married couple seemed to be now after their honeymoon trip. They seemed to be more openly affectionate with each other and the fact that they were holding hands under the table throughout dinner didn't escape her watchful eyes.

"But Damon, remember how much fun we had that night we played hide-and-seek? You and Elena ended up in the Proposal Pantry and you had an epic moment together! We always have so much fun together as a group and I just really missed you guys while you were gone. You're like the glue that holds our entire gang together, and it just means a lot to me when we're all together like this. It sucks being an only child with the only parent I have away at work all the time. Being with you guys makes me feel like I have a big family of my own and I won't have to go back to that big empty house by myself, you know?" the blonde pouted. It was obvious to Elena that her friend was lonely, despite her acting bubbly all the time and it occurred to her that she has never mentioned her own family at all until now. Perhaps that was why she was so close to the Salvatores since small that the family practically adopted her as one of their own. She wondered why she didn't just moved into their house, at least Stefan would be there as company. Oh right, because she was secretly in love with him.

"You're right, Care. The hide-and-seek night was really fun, and it was an epic night," Elena flashed a smile at Damon as he narrowed his gaze on her face, wondering what she's up to. He didn't expect Elena to buy that crap Caroline was spewing to get her way. His wife was so gullible!

"So, I guess we're having a slumber party! And Care, you know you're always welcome here, right?" she reached over to hug the blonde who squealed excitedly at being allowed to stay.

_Take that back, Elena_, thought Damon in a panic. The last thing he wanted was for Caroline to take her welcome literally and moved in with them. He could just see it; him preparing breakfast-in-bed for Elena one morning and then Caroline skipping into their bedroom without knocking and climbing into bed with them. _Take that back, Elena!_

"Don't worry, I won't disrupt your married life. I promise I'll call first before coming over next time. Let's all change into our pjs and come back down here in half an hour. Girls get the guest bedroom and the guys get the nursery!" Caroline announced as she grabbed her stuff and head upstairs along with Bonnie and Jenna. Ric just stood up, took off his pants and sat back down in his boxers and shirt, and resumed his drinking. "Ready," he declared with a chuckle.

Stefan excused himself and went upstairs, presumably to get changed as he wasn't as bold as Ric.

* * *

><p>Damon stood up and helped Elena to clear the dishes, most of them came in disposable containers so there were only a few plates and cups that required washing. Even so, when she started rinsing the plates at the sink in the kitchen, Damon pushed her off to the side.<p>

"Oh no you don't! I don't usually allow pregnant wives to do the dishes; it's the husband's job, so scram!" he pushed her soapy hands away and took over the duty of washing dishes for the first time in his life. He knew how to do it in theory; he watched his nanny and the servants in the kitchen when he was younger.

"But it's only a few plates and cups! I can handle washing the dishes, Damon!" Elena exclaimed stubbornly.

"Exactly, I'll be done in a sec. Here, if you wanna help, I'll rinse, you dry, okay?" he compromised, and he lifted her up by her waist and set her on the kitchen top beside the sink, her legs dangling over the base cabinet.

"Fine!" she sighed, grabbing a cloth and started wiping the plates he had rinsed. "How many pregnant wives did you have anyway?"

"Just the one," he grinned, "but she didn't realise that she married an overbearing husband, so now she's paying the price. She'll also feel his wrath later for allowing five of their friends to sleep over on their first night home from a romantic honeymoon, knowing full well how much the husband wants her all to himself."

"Oh? Pray tell, what's the price?" she grinned back happily, pleased that he wasn't really angry at her.

"Well," Damon parted her thighs and stood between them as he passed the last plate to her but refused to let go as he played tug-of-war with her, "first they'll have to get naked, then he'll kiss her, softly," and he proceeded to press his lips on hers, just barely, "then he'll whisper what he wants to do to her in her ear," he moved his head to the side of her ear and then his lips captured her earlobe, making her moan softly, "and then all hell will break loose," and with that, he captured her lips again, quickly deepening the kiss, eager for more. Still seated on the counter, she wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer to her, one hand on the dripping plate and the other buried in his messy hair. Their tongues fought against each other's as they forgot all about the slumber party, Ric's presence in the very next room, and the fact they were making out in full view of anyone who was unfortunate enough to walk into the kitchen at that very moment.

As luck would have it, Caroline was the unfortunate one. "Well, aren't you two just the cutest couple ever?" she said as she bounced into the kitchen in her pyjamas.

"Yes, we are. What can we do for you _now_, you persistent cockblocker?" Damon sighed wearily as he untangled himself from Elena and turned around to face the blonde.

"I just thought you might want to know how my first contact went with Tyler Lockwood," she said casually. That sentence had the desired effect; two pairs of eyes locked onto her and the mood quickly changed to serious from that point on.

"You've met him? When? What did you find out?" Elena asked eagerly.

"Well, we met for dinner three nights ago, and since it was our first meeting after high school, I pretended that I was planning a reunion with the rest of our schoolmates and that since I haven't kept in touch with any of them, I needed his help to help me organize it. That cover story allows me to meet up with him frequently and hopefully, we'll talk more about his job and about Mason Lockwood as time goes by. But I _did_ ask about his new job and he said that though he was rather new, he heard that they were getting several big projects really soon. I asked for more, but he didn't know any of the project names, only that they were bidding for several big ones. But he said his uncle sounded very confident," she explained with a shrug.

"That's really great work for a first meeting. Great cover story, too. Now, you'll just have to meet Tyler a few more times and then I have no doubt he'll open up to you. Knowing your persistence and unflinching ability to crack open even the toughest egg, you'll have Tyler Lockwood eating out of the palm of your hand in no time," Damon commented confidently. He had never met anyone who would be able to say no to Caroline Forbes yet.

"You're dating Tyler Lockwood? Since when? You do know that his uncle and Damon are at war right now, don't you?" Stefan walked in with a frown on his forehead, looking extremely annoyed.

The other three people in the kitchen stiffened at the sight of Stefan's appearance and they all wondered how much of their conversation he'd heard.

"So what?" Caroline shrugged again, "I'm not dating Mason. Besides, Tyler and I were schoolmates. I can go out with him if I want. What's it to you?" she challenged.

"The Lockwoods are bad news, Care. I just don't want you getting hurt, or worse; used and then dumped like you don't mean anything," Stefan said, ruffling his hair in frustration at the thought of her going out on a date with a Lockwood.

"I can take care of myself, Stef. I'm single and available, why shouldn't I go out on a date with a hot guy? It's not like _you and I_ are dating anyway. Our one and only 'date' was a non-date to a fundraising event that we were already attending anyway, and we hardly even spent any time together that night. Is it too much to want to go on a normal date with a guy who'll kiss me at the end of the night?" she threw back at him defiantly.

"You want a real date? Fine! Tomorrow night, I'll pick you up at seven!" he challenged back angrily.

"Fine!" she yelled back in answer. Stefan nodded curtly at his brother and sister-in-law and stomped off into the living room, joining Ric who was getting more and more drunk by the minute. Damon and Elena both stared at each other in bewilderment, trying to make sense of what just happened in their kitchen. Did Stefan and Caroline just agree to go out on an actual date? Angrily?

"I have a date with Stefan!" Caroline squealed excitedly, her good mood returning as she realized that fact. "Oh my God, Elena! Thank you sooo much for coming up with the Tyler stuff to make Stefan jealous. Brilliant tactic!"

"Errm, Tyler wasn't a tactic to make Stefan jealous, you know that right? You _do_ still have to make contact with Tyler for the case, _even_ if you and Stefan were dating, right?" Elena said slowly, tyring to make Caroline understand the situation she has just put herself in. But the blonde was too happy to care.

"Even better, two birds, one stone! I am nothing if not efficient! Aaahhh, I have to plan what to wear for my date!" Caroline jumped up and down excitedly as she skipped from the room and went upstairs to find Bonnie.

"I hate to say this, but Caroline was right. Something epic does happen whenever we have a group gathering in our house," Damon commented in amazement.

"Last time, she dubbed the pantry as the Proposal Pantry, wonder what our kitchen will be dubbed as?" Elena wondered out loud.

"Killjoy Kitchen?" Damon suggested with a wry grin, thinking of the epic kiss that was interrupted minutes ago. Turning his attention back to his wife, he removed the now-dry plate from her grip and placed it on the rack. Then, he buried his fingers in her hair and resumed his assault on her lips, silencing any objections she might have.

* * *

><p><strong>I wanted this chapter to go on forever; it was such a fun one to write. But, it's 4a.m. now where I am, and as much as I would love to write more of what they did after everyone has changed into their pjs and returned to the living room, I must catch up on some zzzzs. <strong>

**In case you're curious, they played charades and every time Caroline's turn came up, Damon insisted to shout out random phrases no matter what the clues were; phrases like, "Caroline and Stefan on a date"; "Caroline kissing Stefan"; "Caroline hiding Stefan's salami". Well, you get the picture.**

**As usual, like it, love it, or hate it, READ AND REVIEW, especially my silent readers! It's time to let me know what you guys think! Appreciate it!**


	25. Chapter 25

**I'm sensing an overall waning of interest in this story, so I've decided to speed up the pace and try to end it soon, maybe wrap it up by chapter 30...or 35. I've already written the rough draft of the finale – I can't for you all to read it!**

**In case I haven't expressed it enough, let me just say that I appreciate all the readers/people who favourited and alerted this story, whether from the beginning or even today, because without you, this story would have been written for my toys and dogs to read (none of my friends or family follow TVD, which is so sad because I have no one to share my enthusiasm about the characters with, hence why I turned to writing and sharing with virtual strangers on a website!). **

**But I especially would like to thank all my faithful reviewers (20+ of you), for you mean so much to me that I can't even find the right words to express how I feel for you. I love each and every one of you like I love Damon Salvatore. 'Nuff said! I usually reply everyone individually, but for those that I can't – whether due to you not being a registered user, or that you've disabled the private messaging feature – I wanted to thank you all too (RRR222, Send-A-Message Darla, creativity5, Jinx 456, KaatP and a gazillion others who reviewed from the beginning...)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25: Colours of Emotions<strong>

"NO! _Hell_, no! Definitely not! Damnit Elena, we had an agreement!" Damon exclaimed in frustration as he stood facing his wife with his jaw clenched.

"Yeah, we did. We agreed that I had 'full creative license to do however I deem fit'. _Your_ words, not mine! Are you going to renegade on our agreement?" Elena huffed defensively, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Yes, I _did_ say that, but I also added a stipulation: NO PINK! That was my one and only request!" he insisted with a frazzled look on his face.

"But this _isn't_ pink, it's purple!" she responded with a little stomp of her right foot, pointing to a paint colour chart. They were standing in the middle span of aisle thirteen in the World of Babies, surrounded by a selection of lead-free baby-safe paint cans. She could hardly believe that they were arguing about wall colours in the middle of a huge baby shop! They really _were_ a married couple now!

"Same difference! Purple _is_ the new pink. Tell her, Ric!" he glanced over at his buddy for support.

"Uh uh, you're not going to suck me into this ridiculous argument about wall colours for the nursery. It's a domestic issue, and I'm staying the hell out of it. Just choose a damn colour and get on with it!" Ric said firmly as he looked everywhere else but at the bickering couple. Jenna wisely chose to stay out of sight until a decision has been made without any bloodshed.

"Great, _now_ you decide to stay out of our business, right when I needed you most," Damon muttered as he shook his head with disgust.

"Purple is purple, pink is pink! They are totally different! What's wrong with purple, anyway? Besides, it's actually lilac. It symbolizes tranquillity and peace of mind; that's useful when we're trying to put the baby to sleep. It also promotes imagination and inspiration, all good things to encourage a creative-minded child!" Elena explained her reasoning to her husband who was refusing to hear her out.

"Purple is a _girl_ colour. Now, black...I can work with black," he smirked.

"Black? Black? You want to paint our baby's room black? Damon, it's not even a colour! It's a non-colour! It means...primordial void, emptiness. Do you _want_ our child to be empty? I'm telling you, our baby will be the _only_ baby in the world who turned Goth as soon as he or she is born," she rolled her eyes in exasperation. She was imagining the whole nursery painted black, with black furniture and skeleton mobile on top of the crib made of bones. She released a shudder at that mental image.

"What do you call a person who judges a person by colour? Oh yeah, Elena, _you_ are a colourist! That's right, you heard me, a colourist! Black doesn't mean gothic; it's mysterious and sophisticated. I know it's not common to paint a nursery black, but hey, maybe we'll start a trend," he shrugged, refusing to back down for once. He wasn't going to allow his son to be surrounded by a sissy colour if he could help it. He would rather just have plain cement as the wall finishing! _Hey, now there's an idea_...

"How dare you call me a colourist? For that, I'm buying the _pink_ paint," she announced haughtily as she grabbed two cans of rosette pink, only to double over from the unexpected weight of the two 5 litre cans.

"Elena, will you be careful?" Damon chided and then removed the cans from her hands. "These are heavy, and you could accidently hurt yourself and our baby who hates pink, BTW. What can I say, like father like son." He wiggled his eyebrows for dramatic effect.

"Ugghh, whatever. You like black so much, you get the black. In fact, why don't you furnish the whole nursery while you're at it? Just don't blame me if our daughter grows up to be a Tomb-raider or get tattoos before she even hits puberty. Come on, Jenna, let's go paint the rest of the house in pink. Hi, miss, can we have ten cans of the Hot Pink, please? Thank you," Elena smiled half-heartedly as she spoke to one of the staff who nodded and made her way to a shopping cart. Then she linked her arm through Jenna's and stubbornly refused to even look his way as they made their way out of the shop.

Damon's eyes followed her until he could no longer see her and then he let out a huge sigh of defeat.

Taking pity on his friend, Ric went over and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. "I feel you, buddy, but sooner or later you're just gonna have to accept that women always win. Your life will be a hell of a lot easier if you just agree with them all the time. _Trust me_," he advised wisely and then let out a soft chuckle as he watched Damon gave a solemn nod before he approached the staff who was loading up the cart with the most detestable colour of all times; Hot Pink.

* * *

><p>As soon as the four of them reached home, they found Stefan already in the nursery, standing in the middle of the room after having laid several plastic sheets on the floor for protection, paint brushes were ready at a corner, and all decked out in his 'painter suit' – basically old jeans and a white tank top with a backwards cap on his head.<p>

"I'm ready, so put me to work!" he announced with a ridiculously happy grin on his face. It was obvious to Damon that he wasn't excited to bring out his inner artistic talent, but more that he was looking forward to his date later that evening with his long-time crush. There was no way that the gleam in his eyes was due to the fact that he was stuck to provide cheap labour to paint the nursery for his future niece or nephew.

"Umm, Jenna and I will go prepare lunch, so you boys have fun," Elena made her excuses to avoid having to watch her baby's room turn into one of those creepy horror houses in movies. She dragged Jenna along with her downstairs into the kitchen to attempt to prepare lunch.

"Hey, where's the ole' ball and chain and Bon-Bon?" Damon asked as he looked around and strained his ears to for signs of the other two giggling girls.

"They left to go shopping. Something about a hot date she has later tonight," Stefan grinned as he opened up a can and started to work on a wall.

"So, you and Caroline, huh? What happened to make you suddenly grow the balls to ask her out? I mean, she hasn't exactly been subtle about her feelings for you for some time, so why now?" Ric asked as he took off his shirt to avoid getting stains on it.

"Really? You mean you guys knew all along how she felt? Why didn't anyone tell me? And here I was feeling so nervous about asking her out on a date as I didn't know how she'd react! But I figured it was time to just say 'to hell with it' and throw caution to the wind and see what happens," Stefan shrugged but he couldn't help the hopeful grin that insisted to stay on his face, most probably for the rest of the day.

"Aww, our little boy Steffie is all grown up now, Ric," Damon teased with a little pout as he slung an arm over his brother's shoulder and ruffled his messy light brown hair with his other hand. "So, tell me, this date with Caroline, where are you taking her and are you going to kiss her?"

Stefan shook his head as he let out a chuckle. "I'm not giving anything away and it's none of your business."

"Oh, everything _I_ do is everyone's business and now that my little brother has a social life, I'm not even allowed to show some concern? Come on, Steffie, spill it! What exactly is the plan tonight and should I buy you some condoms?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows playfully as he removed his own shirt and started slapping paints on the wall.

"What? No! This is just our first date, just to see if we have the chemistry to take it further. Who would have sex on their first date?" Stefan replied indignantly. He didn't notice his brother and Ric exchanged glances behind him.

"Errm," Damon held up his hand in the air, "_I_ did! And look what happened! I'm happily married to an amazing woman and we're having a baby in a few months. Let this be a lesson to you both that when it's right, it's right. There are absolutely no fixed rules when it comes to when you're supposed to have sex; it all boils down to how you feel at the end of the day. Besides, this is your _second_ date and if you don't show her at least some action, she'll probably think you're batting for the other team. Like Team Elijah, although I doubt that dude is as gay as he said. But then again, he _was_ in love with Katherine, and if anybody can turn a straight guy gay, it'd be _her_."

"Surprisingly, I agree with Damon on this one. I've known Caroline and you for a long time, and I think you're both just perfect for each other. I mean, you both cannot be more different but yet, the opposites attract. I think she brings out the fun in you and you ground her when she's floating off in her usual floaty way. You've known each other since forever, and your chemistry is off-the-charts, so carpe diem, man! Seize the day! Show her what you're made of! Show her what a love machine you are!" Ric gave him an encouraging thump on his back and then he and Damon just burst into song.

"I-I-I'm just a love machine, and I won't work for nobody but you, (Damon growls) I'm just a love machine, yeah baby, a hugging kissing fiend," they sang as they jumped around in a little dance, grinding their bodies against the laughing Stefan, oblivious to two pairs of amused gazes from the doorway. Really, they should have learnt by now that nothing embarrassing ever escaped from being witnessed by others in this house.

"You were right, 'Lena; something epic _always_ happens in this house. But oohhhh my, to find three hot guys, shirtless and dancing provocatively in a nursery, I believe I've died and gone to heaven," Jenna fanned herself as she feasted her eyes on the three half-naked men who all had horrified expressions on their faces.

"Jenna, one of the guys you're drooling over is my husband, and the other one could be the potential husband of Caroline, you know, the neurotic blonde who could nag your ear off if she found out about this," Elena reminded her aunt with a chuckle, but she could understand how Jenna felt as her eyes roved over her extremely gorgeous husband. Certainly, there were laws against how insanely hot a person is allowed to be!

And then, when she was finally able to tear her eyes away from his chiselled abs, she finally noticed the half-painted walls in the backdrop. Her heart gave a violent tug as she realised what her dear sweet husband did for her. "Damon, you got the purple paint?" she asked breathlessly, feeling ridiculously pleased.

"Yup, what can I say? I'm a sucker for big doe-eyes and pregnant brunettes who unfortunately just witnessed my fifteen seconds of acting like a Chippendale dancer. Do you regret marrying me yet?" Damon asked with a raise brow, glad to see Elena smiling at him.

"Actually, yes," she admitted thoughtfully and then without another word, she walked out of the room, leaving behind four other speechless people.

Totally shocked to his core, Damon whirled around to the others with a 'what-did-I-do' expression.

"Personally, I think it's the dancing. And the grinding. Maybe you shouldn't do it again, ever," Stefan observed in a wry tone.

"Umm, excuse me," Damon muttered as he hurried over to the master bedroom to confront his wife.

* * *

><p>He caught up to her just as she settled herself on the edge of the bed, her arms wrapped around her favourite bear.<p>

"Elena, what was that about? You can't still be mad at me for not agreeing with the paint colour, right? Do you really mean that? About regretting being married to me?" he asked warily as he stood above her.

"Actually I was regretting not being married to you sooner, and I wished I could go back in time to do away with the whole platonic thing. I can't believe we wasted so much time denying how we felt. Damon Salvatore, you make me insanely happy to be your wife every single day," she declared with all the love in the world shining through her eyes.

"Then what you said over there..."

"Merely a ploy to get you over here all to myself. I thought since we had our little fight over paint colours, you might appreciate some time for make-up sex," she teased cheekily as she set her bear down and wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her from her seated position.

"So you didn't mind my dancing and grinding?" he grinned in relief as he ran his fingers through her hair as he gazed down at her.

"Mmm, let's just say that I love you _in spite _of it," her laughter was muffled as he swooped down to crush her lips with his own, pressing her back onto the bed, being careful not to squash her growing belly.

Both of them didn't care that they were being bad hosts, leaving three of their guests to do all the work in the nursery while they were in bed in the middle of the day, having what was rapidly becoming very passionate sex.

"Damon," she breathed out throatily when he unsnapped her jeans and hastily removed the offending item of clothing off her long legs. He was so used to finding her without any underwear in the way of his wandering hands, especially the past one week on their honeymoon that he looked confused for a moment to see the lacy boy shorts she had on, but he made quick work on getting those off her as well. She helped by tossing her top over her head, leaving her in her sports bra which she then peeled off. Then, he reluctantly sat up to remove his own jeans and boxers, eager to have them both bare as their passion mounted.

Satisfied that they were now no longer restricted by clothes, he flipped them around until his back was on the bed, and she was sexily sitting astride his thighs. He had to always remind himself not to rest his weight on the baby, so this cowgirl position was ideal for them at the moment. That, and he was happy to be able to feast his hungry eyes on her face and petite frame when she rode him to orgasm. He groaned when he felt her wet heat envelope him, his erection now fully imbedded within her like two pieces of a puzzle fitting together perfectly.

His Elena was no longer the naive, innocent, and inexperienced virgin he met months ago; she was now a confident young woman who possessed the ability to rob him of breath, merely by rotating her hips and grinding against him. His eyes drifted close as he succumbed to the pleasures she was invoking in him, letting himself feel everything she was doing to his body.

Various colours of the rainbow and every shade in between appeared behind his closed eyes when she started moving, pulling herself up until the very tip of his swollen member, and then burying herself down again to the hilt, her wetness providing lubrication to enhance the friction of their bodies. He reached out both hands blindly, and when they found hers, he wrapped their fingers together and held her tightly, communicating their mutual desires and feelings through touch alone. Her eyes were also closed, her head thrown back in the throes of passion and breathing through her open mouth, while his head was arched back onto the mattress.

She impaled herself on his hardness repeatedly, her pace picking up speed as she felt her inner muscles start to coil within her, and tremors started to take over her body. "Ooohh I'm almost there, Daaamooon," she sighed and then it turned into a shriek when the angle changed suddenly as he sat up and threw his arms around her waist, pressing her tightly against him as his lips wrapped around an erect nipple and sucked greedily. Her hands were now free for her to entangle her fingers in his messy hair, pushing his head to her breast as her orgasm washed over her entire body. He was buried so deep within her that he could feel every single spasm that wracked through her small frame, and then he thrust his hips upwards once, twice and on the third, he buried his lips against her neck as he released a loud groan while he emptied himself deep within her.

Feeling himself getting soft within her, he tilted his head up and claimed her lips again, unable to get his fill of her taste. He allowed her to lean her body sideways until she landed against the soft pillows, cushioning her fall and they both laid side-by-side, gasping for breath.

"We should," _gasp _"have make-up," _gasp_ "sex again soon," _gasp_. "When's our next fight?" Damon asked breathlessly. He couldn't believe how winded he was from their passionate rendezvous. He used to be able to go for hours at a time; he was quite the stallion in his younger days. Either he was getting older, or his wife had managed to wear him out somehow. He didn't mind the second reason, though.

"Tonight. You're going to insult my cooking and I'm going to pout and then we'll have make-up sex in the kitchen," Elena said firmly.

"I can already tell it's going to be a pretty violent fight, isn't it?" his voice was tinged with anticipation at the prospect of more alone time with her.

"Oh, it will be a warzone by the time we're through with it, that's for sure," she nodded in agreement.

"God, I love fighting with you!" and with that, he rolled over to her and kissed her senseless again.

* * *

><p><em>Ding dong<em>.

Despite his excitement earlier in the day at the thought of being on a date with his childhood crush, Stefan Salvatore now stood outside the Forbes' residence with sweaty palms and racing heartbeat as he waited for Caroline to open the door. He was nervous because they were about to cross into foreign territory; from close friends to something more.

He thought about his brother's advice in the nursery earlier, about giving in to his feelings when it was right. At times, he found himself being somewhat envious of Damon and Elena's relationship, post-drama and all that. He has never seen his brother as happy as he was with his new wife and they made it look so easy, despite their turbulent past. He wanted what his brother has now; a loving wife, and a baby on the way. Granted, he was a bit too young to settle down now, but he hoped to have someone who he could envision raising a family with, in a few years' time.

Recently, because of his new sister-in-law, Caroline had been spending more time with him and the rest of the gang, and as such, when he imagined his future wife, her face would always appear. It was true that he had a crush on her since...since forever, but it was simply coveting from afar. She was his god-sister and they practically knew each other so well, inside and out. He surely didn't plan on acting on his feelings; he was even able to stomach her going on dates with other guys as he himself had dated a few times. But recently, somehow he had allowed himself to hope for more and now the idea that they could be together was as real as...global warming.

She was literally within reach, and that thought scared him more than anything else in the world, _even_ his father. He was afraid that for some reason, it didn't work out or if it felt awkward between them; then he could very well lose the close relationship they've had all this while. Tonight's date was the turning point for them; either it will be the best thing for them, or the worst. Its one extreme to another and he wasn't sure if he could take such a gamble.

Gamble or not, it was too late to change his mind, as the door swung open to reveal a blonde goddess dressed in red; her mini dress had dramatic draping of fabric over her left shoulder, leaving her right shoulder tantalisingly bare and some loose fabric were cinched at the waist with a diamond clip that added a touch of elegance to complete her whole look.

"Wow," he said simply as he drank in her sight.

"You too," she whispered as she looked him over. He was wearing a black suit with a crisp white shirt and a narrow black tie. On others, it may look like any other suit, but on _him_, with his square jaw and chiselled features, he looked scorching hot. _Red_ hot.

"Oh, a rose for the lady," he held up a single stalk of rose the colour of red wine and her smile widened as she accepted it and held it up to her nose for a quick sniff.

"I'm impressed, Stefan. Thank you for the rose. Now I finally get to see what the elusive Stefan Salvatore's like on a date. Shall we go?" she set the rose down on a table near the door and held out her hand to him.

"We shall," her reached out for her outstretched hand and tucked it on his arm as he led the way to his car. In half an hour, they were entering into one of New York's most exclusive and refined restaurants; Le Bernardin, a French restaurant. They spent the next two hours enjoying the food and most probably the best service in the city, as they talked about everything under the sun. Conversations flowed effortlessly since they've known one another for so long, and there really weren't much that they don't already know about each other.

It was only at one point in the night that nearly made a crimp in their otherwise smooth night, and it was when he brought up the subject of Tyler Lockwood.

"So, are you going to see Tyler Lockwood again?" he asked her when she finished telling him about the men she'd dated. She stiffened when she heard his name tumbling from his lips.

"Yes, we're friends, Stefan. I don't judge people on who they are related to and I don't get involved in the whole Mason-Damon feud either. Tyler and I are just former schoolmates and he is helping me organize a reunion for our year. So yes, I _will_ see him again as a friend," she spelled out clearly for him, lest he misunderstood her intention to continue dating Tyler. Besides, she was only going to meet up with Tyler to help Damon's case. Plus, Tyler was a really sweet guy.

"Does _he_ know that you see him only as a friend?" he pushed on, knowing full well that he had no right to question her like that. Of course she had every right to go out with a friend or a former schoolmate. He may not like it, but who was he to stop her?

"I don't know, and frankly, does it matter how he sees me? I can't control how people perceive me, and neither can I ask him to only see me as a friend and nothing else. Nothing should matter other than the fact that I'm not interested in him and that's that," she shrugged casually as she sipped her white wine.

He looked as if he had more to say, but then decided to let it go...for now. The rest of the night progressed without any further hiccups and then they were strolling through the esplanade of Battery Park City, stopping once in a while to admire the view across the Hudson River. There, they spoke about his brother and Elena and they both agreed how much they loved having her in their lives and how well she seemed to have adjusted to being a wife and soon, a mother.

"I love how happy she makes him, you know? Because he deserves it, he really does. Seeing both of them together really makes me wish that I had somebody like that in my life. I mean, not necessarily married, but someone to come home to and just be there for me at the end of a very tiring day at the office. I see all these changes in Damon and I think to myself that he was really lucky to have met her by chance in a random bar that they both don't frequent at all. It's like they were meant to be, or soul-mates for that matter," Stefan said thoughtfully and sighed.

"I know what you mean. They are so sweet together that it's _almost_ nauseating to watch, but I can't help _but_ to watch, you know? I can't seem to tear my eyes away when they're both around each other, even though I feel envious but yet so happy for them at the same time. Do you think we'll ever have that someday?" she smiled softly as she gazed at him in the dim light of the night.

"We? As in..." his nerves were back, and this time there was no escaping it. Did she mean together or...

"Oh, I meant individually, not...well..." she hurriedly explained, flushing at the slip of her tongue.

"Oh, umm, of course we will. Someday," he gave a sad smile and then led her away from the railing, intending to walk back to the car. After a few more feet, she started to groan in pain and limped to the nearest chair to rest her aching feet.

"Yikes, these shoes are not meant to be worn for walking around," she sighed as she rotated her ankles to relieve the aching muscles.

"Okay, take them off and I'll give you a piggy ride back to the car," he suggested and then proceeded to stand in front of her and crouched low for her to hop on. She hesitated for only a few seconds and then decided to do what he said. So, she removed her strappy heels and hook them from her fingers and then she jumped on top of his back, feeling his lean muscles against her front. She almost swooned from his extreme proximity, and she allowed herself a sneaky sniff of his scent as her nose touched the back of his neck.

All too soon, they were at the car, and he lowered her down carefully so that she could get in. They made the journey back to her house in silence, each left to his or her own thought. It didn't occur to him that she was being uncharacteristically quiet, for she wasn't one who ran out of things to say. She was the type of person who had to fill silences; that was why she tends to blurt out things without first thinking about it.

They pulled up in front of her house and he killed the engine, pausing for a while to see if she made any indication as to how she would like the evening to end. When she still remained silent, he got out of the car and opened hers. Then they walked towards her front door, each looking for signs of the other. They faced each other awkwardly for a while, waiting for the other to speak.

"Well, I had a great time tonight," she declared and then inwardly cringed as she heard herself speaking the most cliché sentence at the end of dates ever.

"Yes, so did I," he nodded slowly in return. He really didn't know what else to say. This was the moment he had been dreading the whole night. The awkward moment when he didn't know if he should just say good night or give her a peck on the cheek or on the lips. Should he slip her the tongue or would that be too forward? It had been too long since he said anything else, and he could sense that she was getting antsy at his continued silence. "Well, good night, Care," he chose the safe route and then leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull back if she wanted to, and when she didn't, he gave her a gentle peck on her cheek. It was high time to leave before he made a fool out of himself, so he turned towards his car and started forward.

"You _pecked_ me? Seriously?" her tone of voice was the Caroline that he knew. The strange silent and demure girl was gone and replaced with the original blonde that he was familiar with. "We had a great dinner, we dressed up, we talked, we laughed, we went for a romantic walk, you gave me a piggy back ride when my feet hurt, and then you're just gonna leave me with a damn peck on the cheek? Oh, for the love of God!"

He turned around to face her but all he could see was an enraged angel who bore down on him and then suddenly she was kissing him, and there was nothing he could do but to kiss her back. Orange, yellow and red fireworks exploded in his mind as he held on to her tightly, unable to think further than to just react to her explosive kiss. Then, she pulled back, still very much angry at him.

"_That's_ how you end a date with Caroline Forbes, not some stupid peck on the cheek!" she yelled and then turned around to open her door. A hand shot out to grab her arm and forced her to spin around to face him and then he swooped in to kiss her again, only _this_ time, _he_ was leading the kiss. He buried his fingers in her wavy hair and held her head still as he deepened the kiss, exploring all the hidden crevices of her mouth as he did so.

She let out a moan of surrender and then they were moving backwards through the door, him kicking the door close as he followed his instincts and walked forward until she was pressed against a wall. Her hands were busy removing his jacket and it slid down his arms onto the floor, and then his white shirt followed soon after. In return, his hands fumbled around the back of her dress and when they came across the zipper, he pulled it down and then her gorgeous dress was on the ground. She was left in her bra and underwear while he was busy unbuckling his belt. She broke their heated kiss, and pulled him upstairs to her room by his necktie, and he was awestruck by the sight of her exposed milky white skin and firm behind. His pants were around his ankle by the time they reached her room, and she wasted no time in ridding him of his boxers as they fell onto the bed.

The last thought that entered his mind before he got lost in her passionate embrace was that his brother was absolutely correct; when it's right, it's right. And oh boy, was it right!

* * *

><p>The next morning, Damon walked into his office with a big goofy grin on his face. He was reluctant to return to work after two weeks of medical leave, otherwise, also known as carnal bliss for some people, namely him. And after his latest 'fight' with Elena the previous night, let's just say that the kitchen formally known as Killjoy Kitchen is now dubbed as Kamasutra Kitchen, but only between him and his wife; his <em>very<em> flexible wife_. Note to self: women who do yoga are meant to be worshipped. _

"Good morning, Mr. Salvatore. Welcome back. Your father's waiting in your office," his secretary announced with a welcoming smile.

"Thanks, Rose. Hey, can you arrange to send some flowers to my wife today? Calla lilies, please. Thanks," he winked and then he watched in amusement as she blushed and hurried off to make the call. He has always been rather serious with his staff, never ever playful or acted inappropriately with any of them, no matter how attractive they might be. He had no time for office scandals and he wasn't one who believed in sleeping around with people he worked with. So, he probably shouldn't have winked, but he was in such a great mood today!

He entered his office still wearing his big grin, and his father shot out from the sofa he was sitting on as he heard the door opening.

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling pleased with yourself this morning, seeing as we've just lost seven of the ten contract we tendered for!" Giuseppe burst out in anger. And just like that, Damon's morning went to hell.

"What? We lost _seven_? That's over USD200 million over worth of contracts! How did that happen?" he exclaimed in horror.

"You're asking _me_ how it happened? _You're_ the one in-charge of contracts; _you're_ the one who worked on the figures! If _you_ don't know how it happened, it obviously means that you're not doing your job! I didn't hire you to take two weeks off to go on a honeymoon! I trusted you to keep this company going, not bankrupt it! How the hell am I supposed to explain to Nathan Pierce about this, especially when it's Lockwood who got awarded all of it?" his father's jaw clenched tight as he sank down on the previously vacated sofa and tossed his whiskey down in a single gulp.

"Lockwood? But that's impossible, I worked on the contracts myself, our price should have been the lowest. I-Which three projects did _we_ get?" Damon's eyes narrowed in suspicion as an alarming thought entered his head.

"Vitrox, Elsoft and the Houston land," Giuseppe replied dully.

Damon's mind was racing as he heard the three project names. Vitrox was the project that he had leaked to Katherine before he left for Italy, so this only confirmed his suspicion of her involvement. As for Elsoft and the Houston land, these two projects were worth below USD10 million each, a much smaller amount than the others they'd lost. This followed the normal pattern; the projects he'd lost to Lockwood were normally worth more than USD20 million each, and Salvatore Corporation was usually awarded for the ones who were deemed as small fries.

The fact that he lost seven of his major contracts to Lockwood was not merely a coincidence. Besides Katherine and Mason, there was at least another major player in this whole corporate espionage thing. Katherine only knew about Project Vitrox; that explained why they didn't lose it to Lockwood, but the others...only two other persons had access to the tender documents. He was the only one who usually handles such high-risk documents, but he was still living with Katherine the last time he lost big contracts like now. _This_ time, he had passed everything to one person at his father's insistence since he was going outstation for a week.

These two persons who had access to the documents this time were Nicholas Mikaelson and his own father. And he had a nagging feeling he knew exactly who the new player was.

All he could see was red as he stood in his office with his fists clenched beside him.

* * *

><p><strong>Group outing, check!<strong>

**Damon/Elena, check!**

**Stefan/Caroline, check!**

**Smut, check!**

**Conspiracy theory, check!**

**As usual, like it, love it, or hate it, READ AND REVIEW! It's that time where you let me know what you guys think! Be good, you guys!**


	26. Chapter 26

**I'm gonna try something different and shut the hell up. Onto the next!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26: Animal Acts<strong>

"Focus your manpower on getting everything you can dig out on Nicholas Mikaelson. Find out where he goes after work, what he eats everyday, who he meets, what his hobbies are, what brand of underwear he uses. I want to know _everything_ about him within a week. Anything on Katherine Pierce so far?" Damon's voice was clipped as he held his phone up to his ear.

"We're reviewing all the audios we have so far from the apartment. We'll compile everything and have it typed out for you by the end of the week, Mr. Salvatore," came the respond on the other end of the line.

"Good." He hung up the phone thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>Damon found himself in the midst of a busy morning, having one emergency meeting after the next, every single person in the company involved in the aftermath of the news that they've lost the biggest amount of contracts to date yet. The whole company was in an uproar, and yet the only person who remained calm was Nik, the Managing Director.<p>

As he now sat in yet another meeting, Damon's eyes narrowed suspiciously on his father's most trusted employee; all the while his mind was going over all sorts of scenarios and motives for his involvement in the whole espionage case. As the MD of the company, Nik wasn't involved in the contract aspect of things, but it was only recently when Damon had passed all his projects to him at his father's orders. But why _now_? If Nik was involved, why did he make it so obvious by losing seven of the ten major contracts to Lockwood? What changed? And how was _he_ connected to Katherine and Lockwood?

He released a deep sigh as he thought about how his perfect morning had rapidly deteriorated into the hell he was in now. At times like these, he found himself wondering if it was all worth it; to save his father's company from a future that may not even be a part of his. At first, he was prepared to fight all the way to make sure that Salvatore Corporation remained under his family's control and to punish the culprits involved, but now...now he had Elena and his unborn child to consider.

It wasn't fair to involve them in this corporate world war of his. And he knew now that he could be happy in a life outside of his career. In fact, the last two weeks off had been his happiest he's ever been, and if he was honest to himself, he didn't even miss work at all. For the first time in his adult life, he had been extremely reluctant to even leave his bed with Elena sleeping peacefully right beside him that he had to drag himself out of bed to shower and get ready to return to work. He realized _then_ that his career was no longer his life now, his little family was. But he owed it to himself to see the investigation through; after all, he wasn't one to start a project only to quit halfway through it. He wouldn't respect himself then, and neither would Elena.

In the midst of a very important meeting, his phone buzzed; signalling an incoming text message.

**Elena**: _What's up, love of my life?_

He smiled as he read her words and typed his reply.

**Damon**: _My blood pressure. U looked gorgeous this morning. I was tempted to stay home from work_

**Elena**: _So y didn't u? I wouldn't mind staying in bed the whole day with u_

**Damon**: _I wish I could stay in bed forever with u, but I had to work. What r u up to?_

**Elena**: _Nothing, just admiring my flowers. Thank u, my dearest husband_

**Damon**: _U're welcome! How r u gonna thank me properly?_

**Elena**: _Oh I hv a few ideas. It all involves us being naked..._

Damon looked up and glanced around the boardroom to see where they were in the meeting, and then when nobody was looking, he typed his reply again.

**Damon**: _Intriguing! Describe it to me..._

It was a while before she finally messaged back and he sort of regretted reading it when she did...

**Elena**: _Well, the moment u step in thru the front door, I will be waiting for u, in my sheer robe that u love so much, fresh out of a shower so u know I'm all wet. I'd push u up against the door, and kiss u hard, stopping only when we're dying from lack of breath. Then I'd slowly undress u, removing ur coat and shirt before my robe falls to the floor, revealing my naked body to ur eyes_

He swallowed hard as he read her description and he could imagine it all happening right before his eyes. In his mind, he could literally see every single curve of her body and also the tiny droplets of water leftover from her shower. He felt his lower body started to respond to his visual stimulation and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

**Damon**: _I'd lick ur body starting from ur toes all the way up to ur forehead, and then I'd repeat it until u're screaming my name and begging for me to enter u. Are u wet for me now?_

**Elena**: _Mmmm, so wet and ready. But u're still wearing ur pants. So, I unbuckle ur belt and unzip u, pushing ur pants and boxers down so that I can rub ur penguin with my hands before I kneel down on the floor and slide my tongue all over the head_

**Damon**: _My penguin? LOL :D_

**Elena**: _*blush* Sorry I meant to say ur pencil_

**Elena**: _Penicillin _

**Elena**: _PENIS, GODDAMNIT!_

Damon couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing, much to the surprise of Giuseppe, Nik and other department heads around the meeting table as they all turned around to gape at him, certainly wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He quickly straightened his face as best as he could and luckily, the meeting resumed without any comment on his inappropriate behaviour.

He was having trouble keeping his mouth from turning upwards in a grin as he imagined his wife kneeling on the floor, licking the head of a black and white penguin. That mental image coupled with the fact that she swore on a text message made his shoulders shake with mirth again.

**Damon**: _I just burst out laughing in front of my father and all the department heads of my company but it was so worth it!_

**Elena**: _WHAT? U r in a meeting with ur father and everyone while sexting with me? Damon!_

**Damon**: _What, it's not like I read it out loud! Let's get back to the task at hand. U were licking my penguin... ;)_

**Elena**: _Mmm ok. I take u deep into my mouth and suck slowly, my fingers running up and down ur thighs. U start to thrust ur hips so that the head of ur penguin *snicker* touches the back of my throat_

**Damon**: _God, I can feel ur lips wrapped around me and I'm groaning out loud, almost cumming but I grab u up and turn us around until u r now pressed against the wall _

**Elena**: _Oh God yes! U r kissing me hard as u reach down and part my thighs. My legs open wide and wrap around ur waist and u slip a finger between them into my wet purse, all ready for u to take_

**Damon**: _*choking* Why would there be a wet purse between ur legs? And where would I take it? Shopping? HAHAHA :D_

**Elena**: _GRRRR! U __know__ what I meant! U slip a finger into my wet puppy and I moan at the friction_

**Damon**: _OMG! Why, am I hurting the puppy? :P_

He was positively rolling around in his chair by now, all thoughts of naughty sexting gone from his mind as he failed to contain his hilarity of Elena's texts. He also didn't care when his father shot him a dirty look from across the table and when he found himself the subject of various amused glances from his staff, all who thought that he probably went insane from the pressure of losing such big contracts.

**Elena**: _P-U-S-S-Y! Stupid autocorrect! Are u laughing at me? I swear to God, if u r, I'm not typing anymore! I am gonna put on my robe and go upstairs to wear my bra and panther so that u won't have access!_

**Elena**: _SHIT! Bra and panther!_

**Elena**: _DAMNIT! Parties_

**Elena**: _PANTIES!_

**Damon**: _STOP! Pls STOP! I'm either going to die of laughter or arousal, but either way, I'm dying here! These have been the most interesting text messages I've ever received in my life! EPIC AUTOCORRECT FAIL! LOL :D_

**Elena**: _I'm throwing my phone away now. Bye _

"Umm, excuse me. I have something urgent to attend to. Carry on," Damon gasped breathlessly as he looked apologetically around the table and then without another word, he hastily exited the room, slamming the heavy wooden doors behind him. The rest of the people in the boardroom were taken aback by his sudden departure but then all eyes turned towards the now-closed doors as they heard loud guffaws coming from the hallway.

"I've always known that my son couldn't handle the pressure. This is why _you_ are the one in-charged, Nicholas," Giuseppe shook his head with disapproval as he glared towards the loud hearty laughter still echoing outside.

"Of course, sir," Nik smiled as he turned his attention back to the meeting at hand.

* * *

><p>"Honey, I'm home!" Damon said in a sing-song voice as he called out to his wife, announcing his unexpected arrival home in the middle of the day.<p>

"Hey, sweet cheeks! Welcome home," greeted a smiling Caroline as she looked up from the magazine she was reading in the living room.

"Oh great, does Elena know you're here or did you let yourself in again?" his mood immediately took a nosedive at the sight of his god-sister looking extremely at home on his couch.

"_Of course_ she knows; she let me in, duh! She's upstairs, changing. I came over to tell her about my date with Stef," she explained and for the first time since he'd known her, she actually blushed as she said his brother's name.

"Ohh, I take it the date went well. _Really_ well, if the flush of your cheeks is any indication! So, when's the wedding?" he teased and was amused beyond anything when her blush reddened even further.

"Don't be silly! It was just _one_ date. Okay, it was an amazing night, but we haven't had 'the talk' yet. I don't even know if we're exclusive or not, and you're talking about a wedding," she rolled her eyes as if the idea was insane, but he could tell that she was excited at the prospect of being Mrs. Stefan Salvatore. Hell, she probably had it all planned out already ever since she used up the entire stock of toilet papers to wrap around her head as a veil and her body as the wedding dress, not to mention the white bouquet of toilet paper roses she held as she pretended to walk down the aisle when she was nine. "It's gonna be confusing since I have another date with Tyler tomorrow night."

"Oh, well don't think of it as a date. You can just be two old friends who hang out once in a while to talk and reminisce about the good old days. Oh yeah, when you see Tyler, try and keep an ear out about the new projects they just got. I just found out this morning that we lost seven of our major contracts to Lockwood. Combined, they are worth over USD200 million. See if he knows how much each of the projects was awarded for. I'll send you some information about those projects later. Thanks, Care. Now scram!" he told her firmly but he flashed a grin to soften the blow.

"What? But I just got here. I'm not interrupting your alone time with Elena; you're supposed to be at work! _You're_ interrupting our girl time, Damon!" she refused to budge, thinking it unfair that she was being kicked out just because _he_ came home.

"I'll tell Elena about your date with my brother. You had fun, you had sex, and now you're in love. It was fun catching up with you, Care! Now scram so that I can have sex with the woman _I'm_ in love with," he smirked as he pulled her up and pushed her firmly towards the front door. "Love ya, bye!" he pressed an offhand kiss on her cheek and ushered her outside.

"Wait, my-" whatever she was saying got cut off when the door slammed in front of her bewildered face. A moment later the door opened again and she felt so relieved and thought that he was probably joking with her. "Oh thank God, I thought you –" she stopped, stunned again when he threw her purse and her car keys at her and then closed the door again before she could react.

"Well, _that_ was rude!" she muttered under her breath and then she walked towards her car.

* * *

><p>Damon locked the door behind him as Caroline left - or rather, forcibly removed – and then made his way upstairs, taking three steps at a time as he removed his jacket and started unbuttoning his white shirt. He left his shirt hanging open and undid his pants, hastily removing them along with his shoes until only his tie, boxers and socks were left. He burst into their room and found her in the walk-in wardrobe, struggling to pull her tight tee-shirt over her head which was hidden at the moment.<p>

"Elena?" he chuckled as his eyes roved over her body, clad only in her sports bra and panties. She stiffened as she heard his muffled voice through the fabric of the tee-shirt wrapped around her head.

"Damon?" She immediately whirled around, ended up facing the bathroom door as she couldn't get her bearings right. "I'm stuck, can you please help me with this shirt?" he could hear her muffled response.

"What? Did you say help you _out_ of it? Hang on," he wore a Cheshire cat grin as he deliberately ran his fingers lightly over her sides, sliding them from her hips, the dip of her waist, her ribs and then the sides of her bra-clad chest, all the way up until he reached the tangled tee-shirt.

"Stop it, that tickles," she giggled as she twisted side-to-side in an attempt to avoid his teasing fingers.

He struggled with the tight fabric until it suddenly gave way, revealing a red-faced Elena and a heavy mess of hair around her face. "There's my lovely wife," he murmured and then he bent down to brush her hair off her face and gently pecked her lips.

"Wait, what are you doing home so early? Weren't you in a meeting?" she asked as she pushed him away and tried to grab a looser shirt to slip it on.

"I excused myself because I was practically bursting from holding back my laughter at your text messages. Then I practically ran home in the middle of work just so that I can make your fantasy come true by stuffing my penguin into your purse. Now stop trying to put on more clothes! You said that you'd greet me at the front door with nothing but a robe on. Liar," he said as he played tug-of-war with her shirt, successfully wrestling it from her. Then, without giving her any warning, he wrapped her in his arms and pressed soft kisses on her shoulder, one hand pushing her bra strap off so that his lips were unhindered.

"I knew you were laughing at me! Besides, we were just playing around; I didn't mean any of it. Hey hey, stop that, Caroline's downstairs," she tried to shrug out of his embrace and replace the strap that he managed to dislodge.

"I sent her away. There's nobody here but you...," he stubbornly refused to keep his hands off of her as he explored her body, "and me. And FYI; I'm always serious when it comes to sex with you. So, you now owe me one naked wife, a wet purse and a tongue-bath for my little penguin over here," he jerked his head down towards his massive arousal as he gave her a come-hither look.

"And why would I do that? You come home in the middle of the day, expecting me to drop everything, including my girl time with my girl friend just because you want to act out a fantasy? Not to mention that you were making fun of my autocorrect spellings all the while? _Not_ happening," she announced with a shake of her head. This time, she refused to succumb to his charms or the way his playful eyes were roving over her body, _and_ his tenting boxers. Nope, she _will_ resist!

"Of course I don't expect you to drop _everything_; just your panties," he wiggled his brows cheekily at her. Her entire body stiffened with desire at his words.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" her whole expression changed, and he wondered briefly if he had gone too far with his playfulness. _She knows he's not some kind of sex maniac, right?_

"Err, look, it's fine if you're not in the mood–" he started to say with uncertainty.

"No, say it again. The 'P' word," she whispered, her expression wide-eyed but provided no hint as to how she was feeling deep inside her.

"What, purse? Penguin? Panther? Panties?" he asked, bewildered at her response when she closed her eyes and practically growled at the last word.

"Oh God, that sounds so sexy coming from you," she breathed out as she wrapped herself around his tensed body and she pulled his head down to mesh their lips together, hungrily devouring him even while he was still confused at her reaction when she was just denying him a minute ago. Now, she was all over him like a cat in heat; and why was he fighting it again? _Idiot!_

He closed his eyes and allowed her to pull him down so that they were lying on the round red loveseat right in the middle of the walk-in, with him on top of her.

"Say it again but this time, say it slower," she murmured against his lips.

"Panties," his voice was low and husky as he dragged out the pronunciation, effectively eliciting another low moan from her and a frantic meeting of the lips again. She didn't know why she found it insanely hot to hear that particular word from him, but just the _way_ he said it...she was positively dripping down her thighs.

"Mmmm, I want you, I want you now! Fuck me hard, Damon," she growled in his ear and hearing her say the F-word in that seductive voice made him even harder, it that was possible. He hurriedly dropped his boxers and freed his aching manhood, eager for relief. Then, her bra followed, releasing her full breasts with hard erect nipples, tempting his mouth.

With a groan, he wrapped his lips around one hard pebble as his fingers reached lower down between her thighs and rubbed her swollen clit through her drenched panties.

"Christ, you're so wet," he muttered against her heaving bosom, her breath coming in short gasps as he teased her mercilessly, ignoring her writhing body under him.

"No...more...arrghh...teasing! Ohhh...I need you...NOW!" she screamed in his ear, her fingers gripping his back tightly, her nails digging into his flesh, almost drawing blood as she pulled him closer to her. Unable to deny her anything, especially when she was practically pleading with him this way, he pulled her sopping panties aside, exposing her wet heat and then he was deep inside her in the next instant.

She has never been so wet so fast with hardly any foreplay besides kissing and muttering the P-word; but he was not one to dwell on how or why that one word managed to turn his innocent and sexually naive wife into a horny nymph. It was as if he found the Holy Grail to his very own Elena-religion. And oh, he would spend his lifetime worshipping her at the altar.

"Daamooon, don't stop, please," she begged as he stroked her inner core with his hardness, thanking his lucky stars that they were even more sexually made-for-each-other than he dared to dream, and he couldn't imagine being with anyone else other than his wife. Once upon a time, he told Ric that Kat was a hellcat between the sheets and that their sexual chemistry was off the charts. His attraction to _her_ was merely lust at the time when he was engaged to her, but this thing with Elena; it was mind-blowing! Now he realized the difference when one added love into the mix, _OH. MY. GOD._ It was a _whole_ other level, one he hasn't been on with any other person!

"Pan...ties," he gasped out as he pumped in and out of her like a man possessed, which he probably was; possessed by _her_. The effect was instantaneous; he could feel a flood of her juices washed over his cock, spilling out of her and onto the red velvet on which they laid on and soon, she was shaking violently under him as she moaned and screamed his name as she came...and came and came, her inner muscles squeezing him relentlessly.

"Fuck, yeah," he growled as he felt a surge from his testicles, spilling into her in spurts. That, in turn set her off again as she let out a small whimper as she orgasmed for the fourth time consecutively. He used his last strength to push himself off her so that he ended up faced down beside her with an arm around her waist, holding her body to his possessively. Small tremors still shook her body while neither of them moved, they were merely panting from exertion after the pure animalistic sex they just had.

After a few minutes of silence and complete stillness, Damon lifted his head an inch above the velvet loveseat to peek at her. "Elena?"

"Hmm?" came her soft reply.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. It was almost lunch time and neither of them have had anything to eat since last night.

"Hmm," she said again.

"Can you move?" he asked.

"Uh uh."

"Neither can I. Do you-do you think McDonald's make deliveries into walk-in wardrobes?" he hesitated.

"I can ask but my phone is on the bedside table," came her weary response.

"Oh God, we're gonna die of starvation, aren't we? Maybe-maybe Caroline will pop by later. She has a key into our house," Damon added hopefully.

"Maybe. Do you know why she was here earlier?" she mumbled.

"She wanted to tell you about her date with Stefan last night. In a nutshell, they had fun, and they had sex. She didn't say if the sex was as great as ours," he said with a lazy chuckle.

"Well, the fact that she could still drive over and walk, I'd say it was nowhere _near_ our standard. But then again, she didn't sleep with _the_ Damon Salvatore," she responded in a teasing tone.

"It's not just me, it's _us_, babe. I've never been semi-paralysed after a round of sex before. This is you _and_ me; we're freakin' awesome is what we are!" he declared proudly.

"Yes, indeed. I'd kiss you if I could even move," she said with regret evident in her voice.

"Me too. Love you, babe," he mumbled sleepily.

"Love you, penguin," came her soft reply. In response, his arm tightened around her as his splayed fingers rested gently on her swollen belly. "Love ya too, squirt," he whispered.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week passed the same way it began for Damon; hectic and busy at the office and romantic and relaxing at home. In fact, he had been looking forward to going home to be with his wife at the end of office hours every day since Monday when he went home early to surprise Elena. She was his constant comfort; always jovial and loving towards him even though she had been suffering from backaches and nose irritation as her pregnancy progresses.<p>

She was now in her fourth month of her pregnancy, and her body was showing more and more signs of the growth spurt her baby was experiencing in her belly. She was eating more, her breasts were getting bigger - much to Damon's delight - and she wasn't able to fit into any of her pants anymore. But she was happy and it showed through the glowing of her skin.

It was a Friday and they were seated in front of Dr. Kol Michaels once again. Where a month ago, on Damon's first visit with her OB/GYN, he had acted jealously and felt irrational hatred towards the innocent doctor, _now_ he felt comfortable and secure as he held her hand in his own while they waited for the doctor to complete his routine check-ups.

"Okay, Elena, I've just done the normal weight, urine and blood test for you. Your weight looks good for the sixteenth week, though you can be considered as slightly underweight but it's nothing to be worried about. Now, with the blood test, I'm also conducting the triple test; basically it's just a screening test to look for AFP – a protein that is produced by the fetus; the hCG – the hormone produced within the placenta; and Estriol – an estrogen produced by both. This is just a routine check to test for any possible risk of any abnormalities," Kol explained as he completed the labelling of her vial of blood before sending it to the lab.

"So it's nothing to worry about?" she asked him.

"No, absolutely nothing to worry about. It's really only a routine check. Now, if you want, we can have a look at the ultrasound again and see how much your baby has grown," Kol smiled warmingly as Damon and Elena both nodded in anticipation.

"Quick question, Doc. When is it considered to be unsafe to have sex during her pregnancy?" Damon asked bluntly, ignoring Elena's gaping mouth as she stared at him in shock.

"Well, it's generally safe to have sex until the very end of the pregnancy, but of course you should practice caution as it advances. Elena should know her body well enough to know what she could take, so just don't do any fancy acrobatics and you should be okay," Kol replied in the most professional voice he could muster, but he stole glances at her flushed face as he answered. Usually pregnant women would feel self-conscious of their weight gain and thus, resulting in a decline in their sex drive, but that may not be the case for this young couple. If her healthy glowing skin was anything to go by, he'd say that they had a very active sex life at this stage!

"What about _rough_ sex? The kind where legs turn to jelly and being unable to move for a few hours? Will the force hurt the baby in any way?" Damon enquired in all seriousness.

Now _Kol_ felt like blushing as he stood there, imagining the gorgeous couple in a passionate embrace and hearing their screams as he pounded into her. "Umm, you might want to withhold that if she starts to feel uncomfortable or if there's an engorgement of her genitals. Put it this way, as long as she stops enjoying it, then that'd be your cue to stop the...umm...violent thrusts. As for the baby, it's protected by the amniotic fluid in the womb and by the mucus plug which seals her cervix, so you won't cause any harm to the baby that way. Just keep a lookout for any unexplained discharge or vaginal bleeding; otherwise, it should be fine. You might want to change positions to avoid putting pressure on her belly, too," he explained.

"Okie dokie, Doc! Looks like earth-shattering orgasms can continue until further notice, babe! Okay, now we want to see our baby," Damon said excitedly as he led Elena over to the bed in a corner where the ultrasound machine was.

"Okay, you know what to do, right? I'll let you prepare while I run this over to the lab," Kol held the vial of blood in his hand and with another prefect smile, he left them alone.

"_Really_, Damon? Rough sex? Legs turn to jelly? You're not still jealous of Dr. Michaels, are you?" Elena asked in exasperation as she glared at her husband, who wore an expression of innocence as he returned her gaze.

"Of course not! I'm _genuinely_ concerned about the amount of sex we've been having and about how it might affect little squirt in there," he gestured to her belly with his head as he helped her settle onto the bed with her head propped up comfortably.

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes at him, "you wanted him to know how much sex we've been having to see his reaction. You may not be threatened by him anymore but you sure as hell are staking your claim on me! You might as well have yelled out 'I am a man, hear me roar!' if that makes you feel more superior. Or rather, why don't you give him a live show of how many 'earth-shattering orgasms' you can give me right here on this bed?" she challenged with a stubborn lift of her chin.

"How about I make it easier by saying the P-word in my sexy voice right now? Then I don't have to prove how superior I am because you will be all over me like some sex-starved teenager, which I guess you are," he teased back with an evil glint in his eyes.

"You wouldn't dare!" she gasped in shock.

At that precise moment, Kol came back in his usual breezy way, oblivious to the tension in the room as he flashed his perfect teeth at the couple.

"Okay, are we ready? What's going on?" the doctor asked when he noticed the couple's expression.

"Nothing, Damon's just being his usual Neanderthal self. I'm ready, Dr. Michaels," she replied and then she lifted up her shirt up to her bra-line to expose her belly.

She was now prepared for the coolness of the gel, so she didn't react when Kol spread it over her belly. Then, as the transducer moved across her skin, the screen in front of her came to life again. And this time, when the figure of their baby came across the screen, Damon and Elena both gasped at the same time.

"Holy cow, that's a tiny human," she whispered in amazement. Her hand reached to grab his and she gave him a little squeeze as they watched the figure move around the screen.

"Yeah, that's no ET, Elena. Look, he even has eyes and everything," Damon exclaimed in wonder.

"Your baby is now approximately four and a half inches long, about the size of a pear, more or less. Do you want to hear the heartbeat?" Kol asked with a happy grin as he held a Fetal Doppler in his hand.

"Yeah, let's hear it," she breathed out and then they were all surrounded with sounds not unlike galloping horses accompanied by funny whoosh noises. The heartbeat was loud and strong; it almost sounded like a fast beat to a rap song.

"It sounds amazing!" Damon said as a lump rose in his throat, feeling oddly touched for some reason. It was as if his little squirt was calling out to him and saying hello!

"Yeah, it's a pretty strong heartbeat, about 161 beats per minute. I can also tell you the sex of the baby if you want to know now," Kol raised his brows as he studied the emotional couple.

"Hold on, you mean you already know if we're having a boy or a girl? A Renesmee or an E.J.? A Delena or a Delany? A purple or a black? Right now?" Damon asked with disbelief all over his face.

"Well, I can tell you right now if you want, but _please_ don't name your baby Purple or Black!" Kol pleaded with concern.

"Elena? Do you want to know?" Damon asked his wife, who was lying still and in shock.

"I-I-I don't know. I guess...yes, yes, I do want to know," she finally nodded with certainty.

"Yeah, I do too," Damon grinned suddenly and announced, "Ten bucks that baby Salvatore has a little pee-pee! Well, Doc? Spill it!"

"I'll just say that I'm happy to announce that...you now owe Elena ten bucks," Kol declared in an agonizingly slow speed, but it was a whole two minutes later that the couple actually showed any reaction.

"A girl? We're having a daughter? A little baby girl?" Elena blinked rapidly as tears gathered in her eyes. "Damon, we're having a girl," she sobbed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest as her emotions got the best of her.

"Congratulations to you both. I'll give you two some privacy," Kol said softly and left the couple in his office.

"Oh God, come here," Damon finally managed to speak as tears spilled over his own eyes, and he bent down to capture her quivering lips with his, pouring his thanks and gratefulness to her in that one kiss for giving him this perfect gift that was his daughter. They clung to each other as they kissed and cried, celebrating the news of them being parents to a healthy baby girl who will come and greet them in five short months. Their tears continued to flow, mixed with each other's until their lips parted, but they remained joined by their forehead and arms around each other.

"Thank you, thank you for giving me a baby girl, Elena. There's no greater gift that anyone could ever give me, so thank you," he whispered softly as they held each other.

"Thank you for knocking me up and for not wearing a condom," she replied and they both giggled at that. "Are you happy?" she asked as she pulled back to look into his shimmering blue eyes.

"I'm ecstatic! But you _do_ know that she's gonna be grounded until she's at least thirty, don't you?" he said with utter seriousness, already feeling possessive over his little she-squirt.

"I _do_ know. And, she's not allowed around Caroline until she's at least forty, deal?" she gave him a wobbly smile as she looked up at his handsome face.

"Deal. She's also not allowed to date or have a 'penguin' anywhere near her 'purse' until she's fifty, okay?" he teased.

She nodded solemnly and reached up for another sweet kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>REVIEW if you liked the autocorrect texts and the rest of the story. Thank you! I had a blast writing this one!<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

**I'm not even gonna have an Author's Note. Oh wait, I just did! Sorry, I take it back. Damn, I did it again! Somebody stop me! I have an addiction to writing Author's Note! I'm gonna go to the ANA meeting – Author's Note Anonymous. See you there!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 27: Happy Boys and Happy Girls<strong>

"So, we're all here now. What's the big announcement that you had to drag us here in fancy schmancy clothes that you can't tell us over the phone?" Ric said as he stood next to Damon's liquor cabinet with a glass of champagne in his right hand. Damon belatedly realized that he had never seen his buddy with a champagne flute before; he was always drinking the heavy stuff, like whiskey. Somehow, champagne and Ric seemed like a wrong combination; it made him look kinda like a sissy. But oh well, Damon was too happy to care as he looked around his living room at the rest of the people gathered at _his_ request this time. They were all there for him and Elena, all waiting in their elegant clothes and looking expectantly at him as they each held a similar champagne flute in their hands; Stefan, Caroline, Jenna, Bonnie, and his mother, Rosalyn.

He turned to his left to see his proud wife standing beside him with a glass of sparkling water in _her_ champagne flute – so that she didn't feel left out for not being able to drink any alcohol – and she seemed ready to burst at the seams in anticipation of their announcement. Damon was just about to open his mouth to make the announcement when Elena suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Wait! Bon, is Jeremy online? Can he hear us? Is the webcam on?" she asked anxiously. There was no way her brother was going to miss the announcement!

"Yeah, I can hear you loud and clear but I'm not sure about the view I'm seeing. Bon? Can you please move the screen to the right a little?" Jeremy's voice came through the speakers of Bonnie's laptop.

"Wha-? Hey! Were you just looking up my dress, you little pervert?" Caroline exclaimed when she realised the current angle the screen was facing; it was placed on the coffee table directly in front of her. She hastily shifted her angle and crossed her legs just as Stefan grabbed a throw pillow and placed it on top of her lap while throwing a deathly glare at the screen.

"Sorry, Care! Totally my fault! I didn't realize the camera was aimed directly at your...err...I'll just move it a little," Bonnie spoke up as she adjusted the laptop to face the couple who had yet to make the announcement.

"Hey Jer, what's up bro?" Damon gave a little head tilt as he grinned at the sight of his brother-in-law whom he'd bonded with during the honeymoon trip to Italy.

"Same old, same old! What's up with the big announcement? You and 'Lena decided to move to Italy for good?" the younger Gilbert teased amidst shocked gasps and outbursts.

"What? You can't leave! I need you guys here!" Caroline exclaimed worriedly.

"Elena? Is that true? Are you moving?" Jenna asked with a frown on her forehead.

"Cool! Can I have your house?" Ric piped in with a cheeky grin. He knew that Damon wouldn't just decide to up and leave without first discussing it through with him. They had an agreement to make all kinds of life-changing decisions together, no matter how gay it sounded! He was in no risk of losing his buddy to a country!

"Elena, are you serious?" it was Bonnie's turn to ask.

"Woah, Damon, you better explain before this goes out of hand," Stefan said in his usual calm manner. Only Rosalyn refrained from making any comments; she had the unflinching ability to stay so still and expressionless, one would think she didn't even hear what Jeremy said to cause all the uproar.

"Relax! Elena and I are _not_ moving, at least not yet. We'd reconsider if you guys keep showing up uninvited. But, this _is_ a happy occasion because we do have some news. Elena? Would you do the honours?" Damon could hardly contain his joy at the news they were about to impart on their loved ones. Yes, he _loved_ them, even though this little misfit gang would drive him up the wall at times, but deep down, he was glad they were in his and Elena's lives. _Deep, deep down_.

Elena took a deep breath as she gazed at all the faces staring at her, waiting for the words to come out of her mouth. "It's a girl! We're having a daughter!"

There was complete silence for a few seconds and then pandemonium struck.

Suddenly, all six people around the sofa surrounded the ecstatic couple, congratulatory shouts and laughter could be heard a mile away as they were hugged and kissed repeatedly. Some even had tears coursing down their face, like in the case of Jenna and Rosalyn.

"I'm gonna be an aunt! Oh wait...the baby is a girl, so that still makes me an uncle. I'm gonna be an uncle! Somebody hug me!" came Jeremy's squeaks over the din as he was left ignored on the coffee table while he watched everyone else wrapped in each other's arms. "There's no one to hug!"

"Oh, Jer, I'll hug you!" Elena announced as she took pity on her ignored brother and crouched down to wrap her arms around the screen while Jeremy did the same. "I'm gonna be a mummy! What if I'm hopeless?" she asked when she pulled back to see him still hugging the screen.

"What? You've been the _best_ sister a guy's ever had! I'm sure you'd make a great mummy someday soon. Besides, my little niece will have her favourite Uncle Jer by her side the whole time," he said with a wide grin.

"Woah, woah, woah! What about favorite Uncle Steffy? You're not the only uncle she's gonna have, you know? I have a Porsche so I'll be taking her in little rides around town and she'll be the envy of all other less adorable babies," Stefan spoke up defensively when his position as favorite uncle was threatened by the teenager.

"Yeah right, try fitting a baby-seat in the narrow little bucket seat of that Porsche! I'll take her to amusement parks and I'd paint her portrait as she grows up. Besides, I'm hotter and nearer to her age so she'll be able to relate more to _me_ than to you," Jeremy threw back triumphantly at his declaration.

"Hmmph! Try getting a baby to sit still long enough to have her portrait done. What, you're gonna start painting when she's three months' old only to finish by the time she starts talking just to tell you to leave her alone? Babies like gadgets and toys, so _I'll_ be her favorite uncle when I buy her an iPad, an iPod and an iPhone. Try topping _that_!" Stefan challenged back, much to the amusement of everyone else.

"Alright, that's it! This baby is going to have two very different uncles who she'll love equally because she'll get to experience different things with both of you. I can't believe you're both arguing like silly old ladies about who gets to spoil her more when obviously _I'm_ her favourite uncle because I'll get her all the booze she wants. That little girl will never be left wanting for alcohol _ever_ again, and she'll be the only baby ever to sleep through the night without crying as she'll be passed out," Ric declared with a smirk so similar to the master of smirks, Damon Salvatore.

That master of smirks then turned to his wife and muttered, "About the whole moving to Italy thing, it certainly doesn't sound like a bad idea _now_, does it?"

Elena shook her head as she let out a giggle, "I'm thinking we should ban her from everyone in this room except for your mother and Jenna until she's at least forty."

"Agreed," he whispered back.

Then, there was the sound of clinking on a glass; it was Rosalyn who stood up from the sofa and stood further apart from the rest. "Everyone, let's all raise our glass and give a toast to the newest member of our family. To baby girl Salvatore, my granddaughter," she held up her glass and raised it high above her head before she drank it all down in one go.

"To baby girl Salvatore!" the rest chorused and then imitated her action by draining the rest of their champagne.

* * *

><p>Everyone scattered around in little groups as they slowly calmed down from the excitement of welcoming a new baby girl in a few short months. They were waiting until it was time to go out for a celebratory dinner together as a group, so they spent the time just talking about doing up the nursery, and also about how the little girl would have Elena's hair and Damon's intriguing eyes.<p>

As per typical Caroline, she was excited to plan for a baby shower for Elena closer to the delivery date. "Okay, but it'll just be the girls, right? The five of us, including Rosalyn? I don't want to make a big fuss or have people I hardly know attending a baby shower," Elena warned apprehensively.

"What? But think of all the presents you'll get! Besides, she'll be the first Salvatore grandchild! We _have_ to announce it to the world! I'm thinking half of the guest list who attended your wedding, and we can have it at the mansion again. We still have months to plan for it, right Mama Rosa?" Caroline turned Rosalyn for support, ignoring Elena's worried look.

"Yes, we can have it wherever you want, but perhaps Elena should decide who she wants to celebrate it with. She doesn't have to surround herself with strangers she's not comfortable with if she doesn't want to. Besides, if we make it into a grand affair, my husband would want to invite the Pierces and we all know how _that_ would turn out. And Elena's stomach would be really big by then, so a huge party would easily tire her out," the thinly veiled warning wasn't lost on the blonde so she hastily agreed. If Katherine Pierce were to show up in another public party where Elena's the main focus, there was no telling what the evil bitch would do then.

"What would tire Elena out? I'm not going to agree to anything tiring my wife out unless _I'm_ the one doing it! What's going on in that head of yours, Blondie?" Damon asked suspiciously when he suddenly appeared beside his mother at the mention of Elena's name.

"Urggh, I hate it when you call me that! Stop calling me Blondie or I'll spill all your secrets to Elena, don't think I won't!" Caroline threatened as she scowled at him.

"Go ahead, spill it all! I don't have any secrets from Elena at all, so I have nothing to fear! Do your worst!" he shrugged casually, looking confident that she had nothing on him that would make him look bad in front of his wife. They had already been through so much and had weathered the worst of the storm that there really was nothing that could tear them apart-

"Oh really? She knows _everything_, does she? Even the time when I walked in on you when you were in fifth grade? You know, you were tucking your...'sausage and eggs' between your legs and trying on a dre-" Caroline broke off in mid sentence when Damon's hand clamped her mouth shut before she could finish the rest, his eyes on his wife's face as he panicked.

"Oh my! I forgot about that little experiment! That was a fun evening!" Rosalyn laughed.

"Mother, if you want more grandchildren, I suggest you stop talking right now!" he warned.

"Care, were you about to say dress? Damon put on a dress and pretended to be a girl? In fifth grade?" Elena giggled uncontrollably as she imagined a much younger version of her dark-haired husband trying on a little girl's dress in his room.

"Princess Caroline, my sweet and kind god-sister _or_ my future sister-in-law, you can be god-mother to my daughter if you just forget about that whole incident and never talk about it again. As for my wife, my lovely Elena, I'll give you a two-hour foot rub and the honor of being our daughter's favorite parent if you pretended you didn't hear that," he pleaded as his lower lip jut out in an adorable pout.

"No! Are you kidding? I'm going to be the favorite parent _anyway_, and as for the foot rub? Eh! Care, tell me everything you know!" Elena turned excitedly to the blonde, eager to know more about the intriguing 'sausage and eggs' tuck thing, but for once, Caroline wasn't as willing to spill as per her usual self.

"I-I don't know, I _do_ want to be the baby's god-mom, and if I give you the dirt on Damon, you might decide to leave him and I _really_ love it when you're around, so...I'm gonna say no. I can give you the dirt on Stefan, though!" Caroline offered eagerly with a cheeky grin.

"Caroline!" Stefan quickly interceded before everything got out of hand, "Can I talk to you for a second?" he pulled her away from their group without giving her a chance to refuse and soon, they were seated on the couch, their expressions serious as they had their discussion.

"Damon? Can I see you in the kitchen for a sec?" Ric asked when he appeared out of nowhere beside them.

"Umm, sure. Elena, _do not_ talk to Caroline until I get back, okay?" he flashed a warning glance at his wife before he followed Ric to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"I've been thinking," Ric started to say when Damon sat down on the stool beside him near the kitchen island.<p>

"Wow! Alert the media," Damon chuckled playfully.

"I'm being serious! I've been thinking about what you said to Stef the other day in the nursery. Do you remember what you told him?" Ric said in all seriousness.

"That I'm just a love machine?" Damon frowned as he tried to recall the conversation they had in the nursery, but he came up empty. All he could remember was the hot make-up sex he had with Elena across the hall from his guests in the middle of the day. It was a _very very_ good afternoon.

"No, you said that when it's right, it's right. And I think it_ is_ right, you know?" Ric was mumbling now, and he didn't make any sense at all.

"You've lost me," Damon shook his head in confusion. He laid his hand on Ric's arm and whispered, "Ric, buddy, are you trying to tell me that you're in love with me?"

"No, I'm trying to tell you that I love Jenna! And it _feels_ right, and I thought back to that day at the nursery when you advised Stef that there are no fixed rules when it comes to dating, and to go with our instincts, that it all boils down to how we feel at the end of the day."

"Actually, I think my exact words were 'There are absolutely no fixed rules when it comes to when you're supposed to have sex' but whatever! Okay, let me get this straight; you _haven't_ had sex with Jenna yet? What's _wrong_ with you?" Damon reached out his hand and slapped Ric's arm as he stared at him in amazement.

"Okay, first of all...owww! And you're not listening to me! I'm going to propose to Jenna! No, hear me out first," Ric interrupted him when he was about to object. "I know we haven't been dating that long, but we're practically living together now anyway. She spends most nights over at my place because, well, because she didn't want to stay in the same house as John Gilbert, but also, we love each other." He took a deep breath as he paused for a moment before he resumed his explanation.

"I see you and Elena together now and it just blows me away when I see how happy you guys are even after all the drama you had. I want that for myself and for Jenna, because she's a really great girl and I'm crazy about her! After Meredith, I didn't think that I'd be able to fall in love so fast with someone else, but if anything, what I _thought_ I felt for Mer, it doesn't hold a candle to what I feel for Jenna now. I mean you had _one_ date with Elena before you married her, and granted, you were both practically forced into this marriage, but then your feelings were real, weren't they? Elena's a great girl and I see a lot of her in Jenna too, and I need a woman like that in my life, someone that I can see myself waking up next to for the rest of my life and to build a family with. Like you said, when it's right, it's right, so I really think it's time to propose. She's _my_ Elena, Damon. I can't imagine another day going by without making her mine," he released the breath he was holding as he finished.

"Wow...I didn't realize you two were so serious after only three months' of dating. Normally, I would've advised you to at least hold back until you're a year into your relationship before taking the plunge, but if you feel as strongly for her as _I_ feel for Elena, then...I guess you're proposing! Who am _I_ to stand in the way of true love?" Damon sighed contentedly.

"Thanks, buddy. If there's anybody that would understand, I knew it'd be you. So, you've got my back?" Ric said with relief, looking as if a huge weight has lifted off his shoulders. But before Damon could respond, a shriek came from the living room and they both hurried out of the kitchen in alarm only to find Caroline and Stefan hugging on the couch with huge grins on their faces as the others watched them in bewilderment.

"Oh God, did _he_ just propose?" Damon groaned out loud as he closed his eyes wearily.

"No, Stefan just asked me to go steady with him! We're exclusive! I'm so happy!" Caroline announced excitedly as she leaned in to kiss her official boyfriend on the lips while everyone averted their eyes. Rosalyn seemed thrilled for the couple but strangely unsurprised. She must have been hoping for them to get together sooner or later.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Damon saw Ric leading Jenna towards the kitchen and correctly assumed that he wanted a moment of privacy alone with his soon-to-be fiancée. So, he attempted to distract Elena by pulling her close to his body and wrapping her in his arms for a cuddle.

"I'm gonna go ahead and name our sofa as the 'Couplehood Couch' before Caroline dubs it something inappropriate or weird. Do you ever wonder why is it that our house is the _only_ place where we all make important announcements?" Damon asked as he leaned his forehead against hers while his arms snaked around her waist.

"I stopped asking myself that question a while ago. It's inevitable; our house is a magnet for epicness if nothing else. I like it; it's cool to have a house where great things happen all the time. Maybe our little girl will grow up to be a famous movie star and she'll go on and win awards and stuff like that when surrounded by all this positive aura," as soon as Elena finished her sentence, another set of voice started shrieking from the kitchen.

"Yes! Yes! Ric, oh my God, yes!" came Jenna's muffled voice, and everyone rushed into the kitchen to find out what happened but there was no one in sight. They looked at each other in puzzlement, wondering where the missing couple disappeared off to until Damon spoke up.

"Either Jenna and Ric had a wild romp in our pantry or something epic just happened, _again_!" he announced lazily and true enough, a moment later, the missing couple burst out from the Proposal Pantry with flushed faces and ridiculous ear-to-ear grins on both their faces.

"We're engaged! Ric _just_ proposed!" Jenna exclaimed breathlessly as she flashed a gorgeous diamond ring on her finger. The other girls squealed and flocked around the newly engaged woman to get a closer look at the ring. Rosalyn and Stefan bestowed congratulatory hugs on Ric, patting him on the back, except for Damon who looked affronted for some reason.

"You got her a ring? _Without_ me?" his blue eyes flashed angrily as they rested on the happy man.

"Well yeah, I've been thinking about it for days and I wanted to be prepared for the occasion when I finally found the courage to do it, and after our talk just now, I'm _really_ glad I had the rock with me today," Ric seemed nervous as he explained his reasoning to Damon.

"I brought _you_ along when I got the ring for Elena. Hell, I even _proposed_ to you with it!" At Damon's statement, everyone else in the room turned their attention to him, wondering what the hell he meant by _that_. "I thought I was your best friend! I had you with me during one of the most important events of my life; we chose the ring together, I proposed to you and we did the goosebump test, and now, when it's _your_ turn to return the favor, I don't even get a proposal? Well, that sucks! _I_ wanted goosebumps! Girls always get proposed to, men hardly ever does! This was the _one_ chance I had of getting proposed to but you robbed me of it! Who's gonna propose to me _now_?"

"Dude, I'm sorry but didn't we swear on our lives that we'd never speak of it again?" Ric muttered nervously as he glanced at Jenna and Elena's amused faces, wondering what they thought about this slightly gay-ish moment between Damon and himself.

"Yeah but that was _before_ you denied me of my goosebump experience! You suck!" Damon pouted as he sulked and he looked so damn adorable that Elena had a hard time holding herself back from reaching out to squeeze his cheeks. She was also torn between comforting him and bursting out with laughter, but she also found it disturbing that Damon proposed to Ric with _her_ ring.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I wanted you to be my best man during the wedding?" the sandy-haired man offered, hoping that his best friend would be able to move on from him tantrum and let him enjoy being newly engaged.

"Yeah, okay," Damon agreed reluctantly but threw a dirty look at him before he went over to hug Jenna to congratulate her.

"My, my, this house sure is interesting and exciting! I find my house a little bit boring now! Nothing ever happens there. Do things like this happen whenever everyone gathers around like tonight?" Rosalyn asked in puzzlement.

"Pretty much! Something epic happens? _Must_ be Thursday," Elena shrugged casually as if it was no big deal and that they were all used to it by now.

"We're gonna have to start charging people if they wanna use our couch and pantry to bring their relationships to the next level! At least, we'd be getting _something_ out of it," Damon rolled his eyes as he came to stand beside Elena and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Since the reasons for a celebratory dinner are now three-fold, we should make a move. I'll tell Tony to expect us in half an hour," he told everyone and then they all left the house and head towards Damon's favorite Italian restaurant.

* * *

><p>"Damon, you naughty boy! Why haven't you come to see me for so long? And where are you hiding the love of my life, the sweet Elena?" the ever big-bellied man greeted when the party of eight entered the dimly lit restaurant.<p>

"Hi, handsome," Elena smiled flirtatiously at Tony as she made her way to the front to hug the elderly man she'd grown fond of.

"Ma chérie! You look even more beautiful than I remembered! Are you happily married still? You know Tony will be waiting in the wings for you in case you get bored of this handsome devil of yours, right? Ha ha ha, Tony is joking, of course! Come, come sit down all of you, welcome to my humble restaurant," he gestured for them to sit on a lovely set table in a corner of the restaurant.

"Rosalyn! Oh, how I have missed you! You look lovely as always, and Stefan, my boy! I haven't seen you since you were as tall as my armpits! That is not a very good height to be in, if you catch my drift! Ha ha ha, Tony is in a good mood tonight! So happy to see all of you handsome men and gorgeous women here in my restaurant. My other patrons look like animals in the zoo compared to you all! Ha ha ha, and they all know it too!" Tony's belly shook as laughter rumbled from him, uncaring if his other customers heard his blatant insult to their physical traits.

Damon, Elena and Rosalyn were used to Tony's sense of humor by now, but the others were teetering on hilarious laughter as they studied this peculiar man. They made their food orders based on his recommendation and then he left them to themselves as he went to prepare their orders. Within moments, red wine was served to their table, for the exception of Elena who had cranberry juice.

"In light of this joyous occasion, let me propose a toast again in honor of our three-fold celebration dinner tonight; firstly, to my eldest son Damon and Elena, who I've come to think of as a daughter, congratulations to you both on your baby girl Salvatore. May your family have an abundance of happiness and experience joy like no other. Secondly, to Alaric and Jenna, congratulations to _you_ both for your engagement and impending nuptial; may you both have everlasting love and soon, a family of your own. And finally, to my youngest son Stefan and my almost-daughter Caroline, congratulations for finding love and passion in each other after a lifetime of friendship; may you both have a lasting bond that far surpasses mere friendship and casual love," Rosalyn declared as she looked at everyone of them with pride and joy.

"And fourthly, may Bonnie find love soon so that she doesn't feel left out in the house of epicness," Bonnie raised her glass and toasted to herself as the others laughed and shouted, "Hear, hear!" and then they all drank from their glasses.

* * *

><p>After a great night of much laughter, teasing, and just plain bonding, they filed out of Tony's restaurant. It had been a day full of unexpected surprises, major advances in terms of relationships; basically they were now much closer as a group as well as individually. With the upcoming marriage of Ric and Jenna, Damon and his best friend were now going to be related; and if Caroline eventually ended up being married to Stefan, <em>she<em> would be Elena and Damon's sister-in-law. This gang of friends were now effectively becoming a real family, something that was severely lacking in Elena's life. So, she sighed happily as she entered the passenger side of Damon's car and waited for him to enter the driver's side.

"Well, I must say that this has been one helluva day, to say the least," he commented as he started the engine. "To think that it started with us announcing that we were having a baby girl, and then suddenly Stef and Blondie were officially dating, and then my best friend and your aunt got engaged in our Proposal Pantry...this day just keeps getting crazier and crazier! How are you doing, with the whole Jenna-Ric thing? Are you okay with them being married after dating for three short months?"

"Well, I couldn't judge them, not when _we_ got married after just one date! To be honest, I do feel as if they were rushing into it, but when I saw how happy they were, it kinda reminded me of _us_, and how happy we are now. It doesn't matter if they're together for three months or three years, if they were meant to be together, then that's all there is to it. When it's right, it's right," she smiled softly and then gasped in surprise when he leaned in to kiss her.

"Have you been talking to Ric or Stefan? Those were my _exact_ words that I said when I advised Stefan about Care! This is why _we're_ meant to be, Mrs. Salvatore," he teased as he claimed her lips again, and again.

"Since we're meant to be, I'd like to cash in on all my favors to hear the whole story about your fifth grade tuck and dress thing. It sounds like it'd make a great bedtime story for me. Please?" she begged with her trademark widening of her big brown eyes, knowing that her doe-eyes were his weakness. Her theory proved to be correct when he groaned in defeat.

"I should've known you wouldn't drop it, 'cause you're just too damn stubborn! Promise me that you won't repeat this story, ever! And also, please don't leave me after hearing it," he paused and she nodded in anticipation. He was about to tell her when his phone rang.

"Oh thank God, saved by the bell...kinda," he mumbled gratefully as he reached for his phone in his jacket pocket. "Hello, Damon Salvatore here," he greeted the caller. He listened for a moment and then a frown appeared on his forehead as he glanced at Elena with a look that told her that it was a serious matter.

"Yes, go on," he said to the caller and then he listened for a few minutes in silence before he nodded with relief. "Are you sure we got all that? Okay, back those up and send a copy to my home by tomorrow morning. What about the other matter that I asked you to find out?" he paused again, ignoring Elena's curious gaze.

"Just give me the summary of the important points," he ordered in a clipped tone. She knew that this was his 'business' voice and she was thankful that he had never used it on her. She was certain that she would quake with fear if he was ever her boss at work!

"Wait! What was that last one? You're certain? When did he change his last name? Alright, send those information tomorrow, too. I would expect those by nine a.m. tomorrow. Call me when you're at my doorstep," he snapped his phone shut abruptly as his jaws clenched tightly.

"What _is_ it, Damon?" she asked, worried.

"Elena, call Elijah over to our house now. Tell him it's urgent and it's about the case," his voice gentled somewhat as he looked at her concerned expression, but she could tell that he was holding back his anger by a thread, so she did what he told her to do and waited silently as he pulled away from the curb and headed home.

As soon as they arrived, he proceeded to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a drink. Then he pulled her hand so that she sat down on the couch next to him. Still remaining silent and in deep thought, he circled her waist and pulled her closer to his body, as if he couldn't bear to be apart from her, not even for a second. Her presence provided some comfort to him and calmed him down from the furor in his mind. He was grateful that for once, she didn't insist on an explanation even though he knew that she was dying to know what the telephone conversation was about.

She was about to voice out her concern when, as if on cue, the doorbell rang, signalling the arrival of the reporter they were working with. Damon reluctantly released his hold on her and made his way to the front door to let him in, all the while noting that the more distance there were separating him and Elena, the more agitated he felt. She really had _such_ an impact on his mental state, he noted drily.

"Elijah, thank you for coming so soon," he said curtly as he allowed the perfectly groomed man into his home.

"Well, Elena made it sound really urgent so I dropped whatever I was doing and came straightaway. Hello, Elena," he greeted belatedly when he saw her seated on the couch. "Well? Did you find out something about the case?"

"As a matter of fact I have. We've got Katherine; she's guilty of being the mole and I have proof," Damon announced, much to the surprise of Elena and Elijah.

"But-but that's great news, isn't it? That's the best breakthrough we've had in this case so far! Why aren't you more excited, Damon?" she asked.

"Because that's not _all_ I found out. I suspected that there was a bigger player involved other than Kat and Lockwood, especially after we came back from our honeymoon. I found out on the first day I returned to work that my company had lost seven of the ten contracts we tendered for; they're worth a total of more than USD 200 million. The false information I laid on Katherine regarding a project worked and we were awarded the contract, but it was worth much lesser than the ones we lost, _all_ suspiciously to Lockwood Industries. So who's the bigger player, you might wonder? It seems that our friend Elijah Smith has been hiding something from us, Elena," Damon paused as he stared hard into the other man's eyes, betraying nothing of his emotions.

"What would Elijah hide from us? I don't understand, Damon," she shook her head miserably, trying to piece all the information he had supplied together but nothing made sense yet.

"What exactly is your role in all this, Elijah? What else have you been hiding behind this cool, collected exterior of yours?" Damon wondered as his eyes were still locked onto Elijah's, attempting to penetrate into his hidden mind.

"If you have something to say, say it and be done with it! I will explain whatever it is you're accusing me of," the reporter snapped, his jawline rigid.

"Alright, explain why you didn't tell us that you and Nicholas Mikaelson are brothers?"

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><p><strong>REVIEW and nobody gets hurt. Seriously!<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

**Sorry for the late update. I promised some of you that I'd update within 24 hours from ...48 hours ago, but I've been sick with flu and fever, so I was forced to sleep early the past 2 nights. Though I'm all drugged up with flu medication and about to fall off my chair, I had to post this to you all for fear I'd have my life threatened by a certain red-head who's known for her extreme violent tendencies.**

**So, this chapter is a little shorter than my normal ones, but hey, I'm zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz**

**I appreciate all your reviews. Can't believe that there are still some new readers appearing now, and welcome to all new reviewers! Also to those who did it without signing in so I can't thank each of you personally. The previous chapter was so happy, my tooth ached! Can't. Take. Any. More. Happiness. Must Have. Angst. Damon. Must. Be. Tortured.**

**Proceed with caution! *wink***

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 28: Brotherhood<strong>

"Alright, explain why you didn't tell us that you and Nicholas Mikaelson are brothers?" Damon regarded the reporter with a defensive stance as he waited for an explanation.

Elena gazed at her husband in confusion, still trying to make sense of everything. "Wait, who's Nicholas Mikael-you mean the guy who's-" she stuttered in disbelief as she finally realized who Damon was talking about.

"Yes, the guy whom my father deemed to be more worthy to head the Salvatore Corp.; an outsider!" Damon rolled his eyes at the thought.

"So, you're actually Elijah _Mikaelson_? So Smith was just your...pseudonym?" she turned her attention to the silent man who hasn't responded in any way.

"No, I legally changed my last name to Smith when my father disowned me and my...brother. I've told you that story when we spoke about Katherine the last time. I didn't hide anything from you; these are all in public records so it's not hard to find out if you wanted to. Besides, I haven't spoken to Nik since Katherine left, nor have I seen him since. We don't exactly run in the same circles," Elijah said casually without betraying any emotion. At that moment, he reminded Elena of Rosalyn so much in terms of their cool demeanour.

"But you _did_ know that he works for my company, didn't you? You knew all along about his past with Kat, so I just don't get why you didn't think that it was an important fact to share with us. You held back a pretty solid lead, you _do_ know that, right?" Damon pointed out, his hardened voice betraying his composed exterior.

"I didn't _know_ anything! It was clear from the start that Katherine and Mason Lockwood were involved in this whole thing, right? Besides the fact that Katherine knew Nik _before_ he even worked for your father, there was never any indication of his involvement! Katherine was engaged to _you _while the whole thing was going down, so if you're talking about suspicion based on relationships alone, then _you'd_ be the bigger suspect! _You're_ the one with the motive! Nik was already the Managing Director, what possible motive would he have to collaborate with Katherine _and_ Mason Lockwood? He probably hates her just as much as _I_ do, let alone trust her enough to pull it off. He is _not_ your guy," Elijah shook his heads slightly as he denied his brother's involvement.

"That's not up to _you_ to judge, is it? If I'm back in the suspect list by being engaged to Kat at the time and for having a motive to destroy my own family's company, then so be it! But Nik is now a suspect too. You're a reporter, Elijah. You should know better than to let personal feelings get in the way of an investigation. For your sake, I hope that I'm wrong about Nik, but I can't ignore the facts; I lost _seven_ major accounts after I passed all my files to him. Upon returning to work, I found out that the one project that I "accidently leaked" out to Kat as a test was one of the three accounts that I managed to salvage. I prepared all ten tenders myself; I cost in the most minimal amount of profit I could afford. There's no way in _hell_ that Lockwood Industries could win those accounts unless they had someone on the inside.

"Now, all along we thought that Kat was the only one involved, but now it seems as though there's someone else with access to highly confidential documents. With my absence at the time, there are only two possible suspects; my father and your brother. I'm willing to bet my life that my father wouldn't sabotage his own company, not even if he's on the verge of losing everything else in his life. So that leaves...Nicholas. I couldn't figure out at first why he would be involved until now; his past with Katherine, somehow it's all starting to make sense. It explains why they pretended not to know each other even when I brought her along to official functions. So, I'm sorry for doing this, but you're off the case," Damon announced firmly, much to the shock of both his wife and the speechless reporter.

"Damon, surely there's some way where we can all still work together? I mean, okay, I get that Elijah wasn't exactly honest by holding back about Nicholas, but we've been working on this case together from the start, surely we can find a mutual ground to start over?" Elena voiced out, surprise at the sudden turn of events.

"Look, I apologize if you have doubts on me now since I didn't volunteer information about Nik, but is it possible at all to understand how the thought of my own brother being involved in such a-a-a horrible crime is completely unacceptable to me? Both of you have brothers, don't you? Can you even imagine them doing something like this? I've already lost my family because of Katherine, and I'm not even talking to the closest sibling I've ever had! I don't have many close friends due to the nature of my job; in fact, the only two people I trust the most in the world is Rosalyn Salvatore and now Elena. Even though I don't communicate with Nik anymore, I still can't think of him as some kind of criminal!" Elijah ran his fingers in his thick hair in frustration as he regarded both of them. It was the first time Elena had seen him flustered and his empathic plea sounded like denial from an older brother trying to protect a younger sibling. She could understand that better than anybody.

"Yes, I _do_ understand, and this is precisely why you're off the case. If my instincts are right about Nik, you'd regret being involved in this investigation and then you'll feel guilty about bringing down your own brother. We appreciate everything you've done so far but your _work_ here is done, Elijah. You may not have a family, but you _can_ have friends, regardless of your line of work. Elena and I _are_ your friends and if you'll join us here on poker night next Saturday, you'll likely have a few more by the end of the night. So, what do you say?" Damon surprised them both by his soft invitation, his voice soothing as if he held no ill-will towards him for withholding information about his relationship with Nik.

Elijah looked genuinely taken aback by Damon's sudden display of friendliness, but he managed to quickly arrange his facial expression to his regular ones; cool but amused. "Poker night? You want _me_ to join you and your friends for poker night?" he repeated, seeming to find the notion quite amusing after such a heavy night of discussion.

"Yes, indeed. Why the hesitation? It's not _strip_ poker! It will just be a fun night in with some cool people you'll reluctantly fall in love with if you hang out with them long enough to get over your initial disdain," Damon let out his trademark smirk at the unsuspecting reporter, and Elena could have sworn that her gay friend blushed slightly.

"Well, for lack of a good excuse and for being genuinely curious to meet these new 'friends' I'll inevitably fall in love with, I'll _see_ your poker night and raise you...blackjack on another night," Elijah grinned in return, glad they were past the awkward moments for now.

"I thought you'd never ask," Damon replied smoothly, regarding Elijah with an undecipherable expression.

"Perhaps you two should get a room? The air in here is so thick with sexual tension, I'm finding it hard to even breathe!" came Elena's annoyed voice, clearly baffled at the sudden bonding between the two very unlikely ally.

Damon turned to her with a playful gaze, his eyes glinting with delight at her jealousy, however ridiculous the notion was. "Elena, maybe your difficulty in breathing is because I'm robbing you of breath? Maybe it's time _we_ get a room together," his tone turned downright husky at the last remark, his lips lifted at the corners as he gathered her stiff body into his arms and proceeded to nip and kiss at her jawline and near her lips.

"And _that's_ my cue to leave! See you two on poker night, and Damon...thank you," Elijah said simply, leaving it up to them to decide whether he's expressing his thanks for the invite to join them with their friends, or for understanding his position as a protective sibling, and then removing the burden of having to prove his younger brother's guilt. And on that last note, he smiled gratefully at them, and then he exited into the night.

* * *

><p>"So, are you ever going to tell me what brought on the change of attitude towards Elijah? I thought you didn't approve of him before and only tolerated him because he was my friend. And now, you're inviting him over for poker night <em>after<em> discovering that he practically lied to us. What gives, Damon?" Elena finally couldn't contain her curiosity and decided to just ask him the questions that had been hovering in the back of her mind for the past hour after Elijah left. That hour was spent writhing and moaning in Damon's arms as he proved to her over and over that she had nothing to feel insecure about when it comes to his newfound friendship with the gay reporter.

"Yeah, he may have lied by omission but he was right; the fact that he and Nicholas are brothers _is_ a matter of public records and my investigators had no problem finding that out at all. Also, I can totally understand how he'd try to protect his little brother or even refusing to believe that he had a hand in this whole corporate espionage thing. I can imagine if it was Stefan that was implicated; I'd move heaven and earth to make sure that no one had anything on him! What if it was Jeremy, Elena? You'd do anything for him too, wouldn't you? So, I kicked him off our case because it would be better all around if he didn't have a hand in hauling his own brother's ass to jail if it was all true. He would never move on from the guilt," Damon explained as he stroked up and down her bare arm absently, white sheets covering both of them in their post-orgasmic bliss.

"Okay, I get all that, but what about poker night? Do you seriously expect me to believe that you've suddenly developed a liking for him and now he's your new best friend?"

"First of all, Ric is _still_ and _always will_ be my best friend, even though now, he's technically my uncle; thanks to his coming-marriage to your aunt. Secondly, he blushed when I smirked at him earlier, proving that he _is_, in fact, gay, and therefore not wanting to get into _your_ pants. Thirdly, he just admitted out loud that he had no true friends at all, let alone a family that didn't want anything to do with him anymore, and that made me feel a little sad for him. No one should ever feel so alone, so I thought he could use a fun night in with our weird little family. And lastly, I wanted to know if he was lying at all tonight, and what better way than to study his reactions when he plays poker? I'll try to pick up on his tells next Saturday so I would know when he's bluffing. Plus, I can't help but to feel for him; he lost everything because of Katherine and I can understand how much he wants her to pay for everything she did. If I get a good friend by the time all this is over, then I'd count myself lucky that he came into our lives because of our mutual hatred of our exes," he sighed, eager for it all to end so that they can focus on other aspects of their lives rather than this case.

"You're just a big old softy at heart, aren't you?" she stared adoringly at her husband, loving him more and more by the second. "So, I have nothing to worry about? What if he wants to get into _your_ pants? You might find him...attractive, handsome, and sophisticated even. After all, you proposed to Ric with _my_ ring first, so I'm completely justified in being worried that you might want to - how shall I put this – stuff the turkey; Elijah being the turkey," she whispered teasingly.

"_As if!_ There's no other turkey for me than you! Okay, that didn't come out the way I wanted it to... I meant that I am _so_ in love with the turkey that I have - the very _idea_ of there being another turk-," he paused in exasperation, hating the analogy that Elena came up with. He didn't want to compare her to a big freaking bird!

"Forget the damn bird! How can you even _possibly_ be insecure about another guy? They don't even have the right equipment! _This_, Elena, this only belongs to you," he grabbed hold of her hand and guided her fingers to his penis under the sheet, and she gasped when she felt her fingers wrapped around him, now hard and erect under her touch. "_You_ hold the title deed to it, and it will only go into one place and one place only; right here," he watched her with hooded eyes as his fingers reached between her thighs and inserted two fingers up her still-wet core, making her close her eyes with a sharp intake of breath at the sudden intrusion.

Her fingers tightened around his girth as he pleasured her; he was now an expert at bringing her unparalleled pleasure in the slightest amount of time, having explored every nook and cranny of her delicious body and discovering all her sensitive spots. His long fingers reached into her wet heat, curling inwards towards the rough surface along her internal wall, making her moan out loud as she gripped him even tighter. Her thumb made soft swipes over the swollen head of his length and his hips bucked as pre-cum leaked from his small opening.

Determined for his wife to reach the finishing line first, he withdrew her hand from his lower body and held her tight against him as his leg nudged hers apart while his fingers pumped in and out of her relentlessly. A light sheen of sweat soon covered her body, giving her an unearthly glow as her whole body tensed up in anticipation of the sweet relief he was attempting to give her.

"Please," she murmured with her eyes clenched shut, "I need...I need more. Please," she begged. Damon was not one to deny his wife anything she asked for, so he gave it to her. He carefully inserted a third finger, a first for them both and the added digit filled her up in a way that she didn't expect at all. Even after all the sex they've been having, whether rough and frantic or slow and romantic, she remained as tight as she was when he first discovered that she was a virgin. However, the moisture leaking out of her provided the necessary lubrication to ensure that his fingers were able to fit snugly into her tight passage.

The sounds that came out of her as soon as his third finger joined in were downright torturing for him as he held back his own arousal to give her the attention that she deserved. He opened his eyes to stare down at her lovely face as she breathed deeply from her open mouth, her head thrown back on the pillow beside his and her forehead wrinkled in a frown as she concentrated on the sensations he was evoking in her body. He made a snap decision that enough was enough, and when he added his thumb to her sensitive clit, she practically howled and arched her back as he played her body like an instrument. He moved his thumb from side-to-side against the sensitive button and with a few more deep thrusts of his curled fingers, she released a low moan as she came against his hand, keeping her trembling body arched against him as he watched her come apart.

He allowed her to rest for a while as he hugged her to him as close as he can, reluctant to even be a few millimetres apart from her. He wanted to be glued to her side everyday if it were possible, preferably naked so that nothing separated them again. She slowly opened her eyes when her breathing evened out, to find his smouldering blue ones gazing back at her lovingly.

"You lied," she said softly, much to his surprise as his brows wrinkled in confusion, "you said that Sir-Spits-a-Lot only goes into one place only. I would like to prove you wrong," she declared with a tiny giggle before she struggled out of his arms and dove down under the sheet. He nearly jerked with shock when he felt her lips around his hard-on, and he felt himself swelling up again after the brief intermission before. The last time her mouth went anywhere near his cock was when he was under strict orders to refrain from strenuous activities the day after her birthday. But _this_ time, when his body wasn't in pain and his brain wasn't fuzzy from the painkillers, he was able to feel every small little wonderful thing she did to him with her tongue, and he was rock hard within seconds.

He removed the sheet that covered her face from his hungry eyes and he groaned lustily as he watched her swallow his erection in her warm mouth and then she ran her talented tongue slowly from the base all the way up to the tip of his penis, licking the pre-cum off.

"Holy Christ, Elena, you're killing me here," he moaned as she repeated the action several times. She gave him a sly smile before she took his whole head into her mouth and sucked hard, wrenching another guttural moan from his throat as he plunged his fingers into her hair to keep her head where it was. If she stopped then, he would surely die of blue balls syndrome.

His back arched off the bed when she suddenly deep-throated him, his head lodged at the base of the throat for a few seconds and then she withdrew all the way only to take another plunge, sending him in even deeper. He bit down on his lower lip to stop himself from crying out as he watched her pleasure him with her mouth, all the while wondering how or where she learned all these tricks from. She opened her eyes and gazed back at him then, and the effect was incredibly erotic; she was watching him watch _her_ making love to his cock with her sexy mouth. She wrapped her fingers tightly around the base of his cock, cutting off the blood flow and this made his swollen head even _more_ engorged and sensitive. She moved her lips around his extremely hard length in an up and down motion, always from the tip to where her fingers were and then up again, then down, his hands now firmly gripping her head and holding on for dear life as his hips thrust up and down in time with her mouth.

"My God, I'm...cumming," he gasped out suddenly but to his utmost surprise, she removed her mouth from him and used two fingers to pinch the slit on the tip of his head tightly as his member twitched and jerked as if he was ejaculating, but not a single drop escaped from him. However, the feeling of an orgasm still washed through him although he didn't have any relief from it. In fact, he was frustrated beyond belief as he watched his cock deflate right before his very eyes.

"Wh-how-wh-," he stammered shakily as he tried to regain his senses back while panting heavily. "Elena, wha-ohhh, that feels...ohhh, holy hell," he moaned again when she took his softening cock into her mouth again, working him up with her swirling tongue until he was fully erect again in no time at all. She ran her tongue all over his length, alternating between a handjob and sucking his sensitive flesh with her lips, all the while her one hand was lightly caressing his testicles. Soon, she increased her pace of pumping his hardness with her mouth as he thrashed and twisted on the bed, her motions driving him crazy with unfulfilled need and then he felt his orgasm approaching again, this time it was all happening as if in slow-motion; his balls tightened as her lips made its final descent down his length again and he could tell that _this_ was going to be an intense one. And then her mouth withdrew all the way off him and just when he could feel the beginnings of a spurt of cum erupting from deep with him, her fingers were in place over the slits of his opening again. This time, he grunted loudly when he felt himself explode into pieces as another orgasm ripped through his body, but still, no ejaculation in sight.

"Nooooo," he protested weakly as his eyes closed and disappointment flooded through him as he relaxed back on the pillows. He has never felt so helpless in his life! In fact, it was pure _torture_! He wondered what he had done to deserve this cruel and unusual punishment from his wife who was supposed to love him and woah! There she goes again, teasing him mercilessly as he felt her light touches on his once-again-softening cock. He didn't even bother to open his eyes since he knew what was going to happen this time; he'd end up having to have surgery to remove his blue balls for good. So, he just gave up and laid there limply as she teased him.

He was amazed that he was hard again so soon, this time, almost to the point of pain as his cock stretched upwards, and if possible, even harder than ever before; the head now an angry red colour. He felt the bed shift beneath them, but he still didn't react until he felt her straddling him, her thighs spread wide and her legs placed beside his hips. His eyes snapped open when she impaled herself with his erection and the feeling of her tight and wet warmth around him made him erupt in goosebumps all over his body. Her juices were flowing out of her and onto his cock, and she was riding him as hard as she could without jostling their daughter in her belly.

Unable to control himself, he gripped her hips with his hands and held her tightly as he pushed himself into her, letting out a drawn-out moan when she gyrated her hips as he felt her inner muscles started contracting around him. He bucked his hips violently, silently cursing himself when he felt his rapidly approaching orgasm rising to the surface much sooner than he had expected.

"Please, Damon! Cum with me!" she screamed out, her whole body shuddering as she thrust her hips down one last time just as he felt the familiar stirrings of his balls, knowing that _this_ time at least, he would receive the release he desired. What he didn't count on was the intensity of the release, and he roared out her name when he finally ejaculated shots after shots of his cum deep into her cervix. He had never achieved a full-body orgasm like that before; he felt his entire body exploded into a million tiny little pieces, oblivious to the outside world as his eyes stared unseeingly, nose inhaled without smelling, skin touched without feeling anything.

He didn't know how long he remained in that euphoric state, but as the pieces came back together, as if he was being reborn again, renewed, improved, he could feel again, and see, and hear, and smell. He thanked God for Elena, his very own sex goddess who made him experience that forceful release that was so much more satisfying that all the other times he had cummed before – combined! Wearily, he realized _then_ that his personal sex goddess had collapsed on top of him; her head buried in the crook of his neck while they were still joined intimately, with him inside her. With the last ounce of strength he had left, he reached for the white sheet from earlier to cover them both and then he wrapped his arms protectively around her limp body, holding her body to him.

"Lena, luvabogaloo," he muttered incoherently before he passed out, still hugging her.

* * *

><p><strong>M-rating be damned! I like my smut to be descriptive and damnit, it will be! Hope you liked my version of torture for Damon. He's not the ONLY sex-God now, is he? Not so tough when he's not the bad-ass vampire, is he?<strong>

**Those of you who read my first story When Love And Hate Collides would be familiar with this form of torture. HEHE. There are only so many ways to have sex!**

**READ and REVIEW if you know what's best for Damon. He and his aching penis will thank you later! **

**Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz**


	29. Chapter 29

**HUH! Not sure if you've heard that this story was nominated for an Energize W.I.P. Award In the category "Most promising Vampire Diaries FanFiction" (_complete silence and then sounds of crickets fills the awkward pause_)**

***clears throat* Moving on, I just wanted to thank the person who nominated Separate Beds and if _you_ are the one, *steely gaze on each and every one of you* please do let me know so that I can thank you properly and ask you what the heck it is. I wasn't aware of such a website before and what do I do with it now? Don't get me wrong, I'm honoured! This explains the sudden number of people who alerted /favourited this story since 2 days ago; they must have clicked on the link from the website. So thanks for generating more interest in this little fiction of mine.**

**On to more pressing matters, I just KNOW that I'd be giggling my way through this chapter. I'm in one of my moods again! Guess we'll see.**

**My twitter again, for those asking: cgsa_cher**

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><p><strong>Chapter 29: P-P-P-Poker Night (Otherwise known as A Series of Unfortunate Events)<strong>

(_The following Saturday_)

"I don't think we're doing this the right way," Ric muttered as he held on tight.

"Like you've done _this_ before!" Damon huffed, his face red from exhaustion.

"I haven't, but it doesn't _feel_ right. What we're doing now, someone could really get hurt if we're not careful," came Ric's uncertain respond.

"We _are_ being careful, you wimp! I'm wearing protection, aren't I? Besides, _you_ were the one who was so eager for this a few minutes ago! Now, shut up and hold it steady," Damon warned and then tried to push it in again, sweat pouring down his face.

"Hold on! It's not going to fit! I told you, this _isn't_ the right way," Ric insisted, wincing in pain, his muscles straining uncomfortably.

"Jesus! How many ways are there to do it? _This_ part of mine goes into _that_ little hole of yours, and the rest, as they say, is history. Now just let me put it in there and we can be done before Elena comes up and finds us doing this!" Damon exclaimed, more loudly than he intended to. He really didn't want Elena to come running in and see what he and Ric were doing behind her and Jenna's backs, but it just _had_ to be done; he'd put it off long enough.

"Before Elena finds you doing _what,_ exactly?" came a female voice from the doorway, causing Damon to stiffen in mid-action without turning around. He'd recognized that voice anywhere in the world, even if he had wools stuffed in his ears! He sighed heavily and prepared himself for her reaction, whatever it may be.

"Elena, I can explain," he started saying but then was cut off when Stefan burst into the room.

"I got it! I found the manual!" the younger Salvatore cried out triumphantly before he realized that his sister-in-law was in the room with them, and then he gaped at her guiltily. "Elena! You-you weren't supposed to see this. We-we're just-" unable to come up with a suitable excuse, he gave up and gave his brother an apologetic look as if to say, 'You're on your own!'

"There's a _manual_? And you're only telling us _now_? Gee, thanks little brother! We could have been done with the surprise hours ago!" Damon rolled his eyes in exasperation and then he passed a long white rod he was holding to Stefan and walked towards his wife who was regarding him warily.

"In my defence, I wasn't hiding this from _you_, per se; it's a surprise for our daughter. But since you're _here_, well, welcome to our daughter's bedroom or nursery," he made a sweeping gesture with his arm towards the room while her eyes took in the transformed purple-walled room. Before, it had been a plain and empty room, it was now a little girl's room; with two identical white chests of drawers leaning against one wall with a full floor-to-ceiling height white-framed mirror in between them, a white rocking chair with dark purple cushions in a corner, a half-height two-door changer next to it, and of course, a half-assembled Corsican Cow-Jumped-Over-the-Moon Rocking Cradle that Elena picked out from World of Babies last weekend. There were also loads of soft toys strewn everywhere, all still wrapped up in little plastic wrappers.

"You guys! This looks amazing! _This_ is what you've been doing the whole day today? It's a lovely surprise, so thank you!" she flashed a bright smile at her nervous husband next to her and reached out to him for a hug, but he quickly stepped back.

"Hey, woah, not so fast, huggy huggerson! I'm sweating like a pig and I probably stink like one, too! I'm also covered in this protective gear that Ric insisted I wear to avoid poking myself in the wrong place and deprive us of a little sister or brother for Little Purple in there," he gestured towards her belly as he referred to their daughter by his latest nickname.

"Well, thanks for that, _Uncle_ Ric, but it seems that you guys have this under control, except for the cradle there. Look, if you're having trouble with that, I can call the installers in and get it done for us," Elena suggested, grinning broadly when Ric cringed at _his_ newest nickname, which he would have earned in a few months when he and Jenna get married.

"No, don't! Uncle Ric and I can handle it. What kind of father would I be if I can't even do a decent job and put up a cradle for my kid, huh? I want Little Purple to be proud of me and brag to all her little toothless friends about what a stud her daddy is. So, I don't need some _installer_ to come in and spoil my reputation, thank you very much!" Damon exclaimed loudly, seemed much more confident with his abilities than ever, and grabbed the rod from Stefan's hand.

"Wait, wait, wait! Before you start shoving that pole of yours in my hole again, let Stefan read the manual to see if it even _is_ the right pole in the first place. I swear this hole's too small for that pole of yours, Damon!" Ric flashed a warning look at his buddy when Damon resumed his previous position in front of him; one leg over the long iron rod so that he appeared to be riding it like a broomstick, while Ric held _another_ pole between _his_ legs and supported the heavy material by squeezing his thigh muscles to support the weight. Elena held back her giggle when she realised what it looked like they were doing from the position she was standing, from behind Damon.

_Must. Not. Laugh. It's. Not. What. It. Looks. Like. Do. Not. Laugh, _she reminded herself_._ "Umm, I'll leave you boys to it then. I'll just go grab a camera, and don't take too long. Elijah will be here in a couple of hours and trust me on this; you don't want _him_ to be around while you're up here figuring out whether Damon's pole will fit into Ric's hole from this angle. He might just show you how it's done properly instead!" she finally let out a giggle as she left the room, leaving Damon, Stefan and Ric to stare down at the parts they were holding and figuring out what Elena meant by her statement.

"Yeah, I'm gonna hold this differently now," Damon finally said when the light bulb came on in his head. Not surprisingly, Ric nodded in agreement, "Me too." And then Stefan burst out laughing when his brother and their friend shifted their own poles around until they no longer looked obscene.

"Shut up, Stef," Damon growled moodily.

"Yeah, Stef! Shut up and read your manual," Ric echoed, turning red all of a sudden.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, after the rocking cradle was finally completed and the guys were no longer sweaty or awkward, the gang found themselves in the living room, talking and laughing when the doorbell rang.<p>

"Okay, he's here. Be nice, everyone! That means _you_, Forbes!" Damon warned the rest with a meaningful glance at his god-sister before he opened the front door to welcome Elijah in.

"Elijah! Come on in!" he greeted enthusiastically as he stepped back from the doorway to admit his guest who was carrying several boxes in his arms.

"Thanks, Damon. Hope you don't mind, but I brought pizza," Elijah smiled gratefully when Damon unloaded the boxes from his arms so that he could shrug off his jacket.

"Cool, for a minute there I thought you were moving in, but that's not surprising, considering everyone's here all the time! I appreciate the pizza all the same, since the only thing Elena can cook is salad, mashed potatoes and lamb, but we normally have to kill the lamb all over again _after_ she's cooked it," he rolled his eyes as he exaggerated a little over his wife's cooking skills, knowing that Elijah had first-hand experience in teaching those exact dishes to her. The reporter chuckled appreciatively and felt at ease immediately. He was rather worried about meeting a bunch of strangers who obviously means the world to Elena and Damon, but he turned to the smiling bunch anyway to get the introductions over with.

"Hello, I'm Elijah Smith. Thanks for letting me join poker night," he smiled as he shook hands with everyone else, and then to his surprise, Elena reached over to hug him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do.

"Hey, Elijah, thanks for bringing dinner. Damon says salad and lamb are not suitable for poker night. I take that as a hint that he doesn't like my cooking," Elena laughed good-naturedly.

"What utter nonsense! I'd eat boiled charcoal if you prepared it! I just didn't want you to exert yourself, babe," Damon said as he came to stand beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to smack his lips on the side of her head.

"Hey, come on! Are we playing poker, or what?" Jenna called out from the dining room, poking her head into the living room archway.

"Okay, we're coming," Elena replied and gestured for Elijah to follow them into where the others were now gathered, preparing for a night of intense poker playing.

"So, Elijah, I heard that you were giving Elena career advice on being a journalist," said Jenna as she took her seat next to Ric in the middle of the table.

"Yes, I've heard wonderful things about her from Rosalyn Salvatore. She's very fond of her daughter-in-law and now I am, too. Well, both Elena _and_ Damon, of course," Elijah quickly corrected before Damon could react jealously again.

"Oh yeah, we bonded over being survivors of Hurricane Katherine. He dated Kat, too," Damon gave a shudder as he thought about the woman who ultimately brought her two exes together as friends.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! You poor thing," Caroline gushed in her typical manner, rushing over to give a comforting hug to the surprised man who didn't know what to do with himself other than to just stand still let himself be enveloped in her arms and then released eventually.

"Jesus, how on earth did you survive unscathed?" Ric had an utterly disgusted look on his face; it was obvious to everyone there weren't any love lost between him and Damon's ex. He immediately raised his glass of bourbon and swallowed deeply, as if to chase down something bitter with it.

"Awww, the years of therapy must have been horrible for you," Bonnie came over to him and gave him a comforting pat on his arms, as if she approved at how brave he was being.

"I don't know you that well, but I'm feeling incredibly proud of you right now," Stefan smiled and thumped him on the back.

"They should put a leash on that woman; she _really_ shouldn't be allowed out in public," Jenna shook her head in disapproval.

"Umm, thank you all for the support. I'm fine, really. It was a long time ago," Elijah explained awkwardly, uncomfortable with their displays of affection to him, a stranger whom they have met only a few minutes ago. He quickly took a seat opposite Ric before anyone else could hug him without any warning.

"Yup, he's _totally_ gay! I mean, he didn't even cop a feel or anything! The least he could do was to grab my ass a little! Such a shame too, he's so hot!" Caroline whispered disappointedly at Bonnie and Jenna who were in awe over the handsome reporter. They nodded in agreement.

"Uhh, hello! I'm standing right _here_!" Stefan announced loudly, feeling slightly miffed over his girlfriend finding the newcomer attractive.

"Oh I'm sorry! Did you want him to grab _your_ ass? I could ask, you know?" Caroline whirled around to her boyfriend, completely misunderstanding his reason for being jealous.

"No, Care, my ass is fine! My _pride_, however, is wounded," Stefan replied in exasperation. Sometimes, his girlfriend can be so clueless!

"Oh, I'm sure he'll find you attractive. Give it some time," Caroline ruffled his hair playfully and sat down beside Jenna, grabbing a slice of pizza. With a sigh, Stefan didn't even bother to respond and sat down in between Bonnie and Caroline, while his brother and Elena settled down opposite him, on the other side of Elijah. But right before that, Damon leaned down to whisper into Elijah's ear, causing him to nod as he flashed a quick glance at Ric.

"Okay, who's playing and who's watching while feeding the players?" Damon asked, his eyes sweeping around the table questioningly as his hand gestured to Elena, then to the pizza boxes and then to his mouth. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at his obvious attempt at being pampered as she pried a slice from the box and fed it to him. In the end, all the guys and Jenna were playing, while the younger girls sat back to watch since they haven't played before. "Okay, we're playing Texas Hold 'Em, meaning two cards each and five cards on the river. Blinds are five and ten, best card combination wins, got it?"

The players nodded while the three non-players eyed each other in confusion. Poker was a very complex game and if one wasn't familiar with the terms and rules, it could be difficult to understand it.

"Okay, I'll start as the dealer, and then we'll make our way round the table clockwise. Jenna, you've got the big blind and Uncle Ric, the small blind. Here we go, good luck gentlemen and lady," Damon said as he distributed the cards.

"Wait, so Ric is your _uncle_? How are you even related?" Elijah asked as he threw his chips in to call.

"Jenna is Elena's aunt, right? And my buddy Ric here is engaged to Jenna, so when they get married, he's effectively our uncle," Damon explained with a teasing grin at his best friend who really hated being called an uncle; it made him sound really old and wrinkly. "Jer?"

"I'll call. Bon, can you throw in two chips for me, please?" came Jeremy's voice over the speaker of Bonnie's laptop on the table, webcam on and Bonnie holding up two cards in front of it. The younger Gilbert was lounging back on his bed, stuffing his mouth with potato chips and grinning confidently.

"I'll fold," Stefan announced and discarded his two cards.

"Jer! Can you even _afford_ to play? I can't cover your bet if you lose too much, you know?" his sister warned in advance, knowing how impulsive her brother can be.

"Chill, sis! If I win, I keep the money, but if I lose, then my kind brother-in-law's gonna cover it. Either way, it's win-win for me," Jeremy mumbled with a mouthful of chips, sprinkling bits and pieces all over his bed.

"Say it, don't spray it! If you lose, I'm just gonna have to collect from your sister, young Jeremy. I look forward to poking into her 'purse' and see what treasures I would find in there. Let's just say it's win-win for me, too," Damon chuckled as his eyes twinkled with the idea of exploring Elena's 'purse'.

"I don't have anything in my purse-oh," Elena started to say and then blushed deeply when she realized the hidden meaning behind his cheeky smile. Of course, penguins and purses, how could she forget? That was the afternoon that Damon blew off work and came home early. It was a _great_ afternoon, she vividly recalled with a wry grin as she shared a look with her husband.

"Are we missing something? What's so interesting about Elena's purse? Go on, whip it out and show it to us," Caroline said excitedly, wondering what kind of kinky stuff her friend has in there. After all, she didn't buy all the sex toys for their honeymoon for nothing. She fully expects them to carry on with their kinkiness wherever and whenever.

"She most definitely will _not_! It's a little...inside joke between us; let's leave it at that," Damon said firmly, finding himself distracted as he daydreamed about the things he would do to her right then and there if his house wasn't filled with their friends yet again. Damn his teenage-like hormones!

"Trust me, Care, just let it go. It's probably code for something kinky or other. We're better off not knowing," Ric advised wisely as he threw in a chip to call. "I know Damon inside and out. Okay, maybe not inside, because that's just gross...and disturbing, but I know him well enough to know not to ask for details. That's how I remained innocent and sane while hanging with him."

"Oh really, Ric? It didn't _look_ innocent when I saw Damon trying to slide his pole into your small hole between your legs earlier upstairs! Tell me, _was_ it able to fit after Stefan got there?" Elena challenged back with a raised brow as her lips quirked up in amusement.

Elijah choked on his pizza and coughed repeatedly as choruses of "What?" filled the air as everyone turned their attention to the two red-faced men; even Jeremy paused in the act of stuffing his face with more junk food to look incredulously at them.

"Elena, if you're gonna make misleading comments like that, the least you could do is explain after instead of freaking our friends out," Damon glared at his wife as he dealt three cards and placed them faced up on the middle of the table - the flop, as poker terms go. "I raise to ten bucks. Elijah?" Damon threw two chips in the pool and waited for him to follow suit.

The newest member of their 'family' just stared unblinking at him without responding to his question. "I'm loving poker night! Please explain," he implored while the rest leaned in closer, eager to uncover this latest gossip. For a moment no one said anything; Elena just smiled widely at Ric and stubbornly refused to say anything and enjoying herself tremendously.

"For God's sake, we were putting together a cradle!" Ric finally burst out, unable to stand the tension in the room any longer. Besides, he was holding pocket Queens and there was another one on the flop; he was eager to win the first round, damnit! "We were in the nursery trying to figure out how to fit the iron rods into the holes and Elena walked in and spoilt the surprise. There! Now you know! You're welcome, by the way," he said sarcastically to his fiancée's niece.

"Ha ha, that was payback for being proposed to by Damon when you guys went shopping for the wedding rings, _and_ also for accepting," Elena replied smugly, knowing that they were not going to be playing much poker from that point on. Ric looked about ready to burst for being reminded of that experience yet again.

Elijah choked again, this time while drinking while the rest of the table erupted in laughter.

"It was the goosebump test and _I'm_ the reason you're not wearing some other hideous obscenely large stone on your finger right now," Ric bit out between his teeth, his lips barely moving at all.

"Hey, Ric, remember when you made out with the biker-dude in that bar during the eve of my wedding? And then you woke up the next day in a hotel room, with condoms scattered around you?" Damon added with an evil smirk, leaning back with an arm around the back of Elena's chair, stroking her neck and shoulders absently. She turned to smile at him and leaned in closer, loving poker night, too.

"What? Ric, you never told me that! You cheated on me with a biker dude?" Jenna exclaimed in disbelief as she stared at her fiancée, eyes narrowed until they were mere slits.

"Jenna, in his defence, Ric was drunk _and_ passed out, and all three of us didn't know that it was a gay bar. While the tongue-swirling kiss with the huge biker dude was real, the hotel was _my_ idea and the condoms were Damon's," Stefan hastily explained, taking pity on his friend but did not realize the alternate meaning of his explanation in time.

As predicted, Elijah choked yet again, this time on his own tongue as he tried to hold back his hilarity at the onslaught of information provided by his new favourite people in the whole world. Again, the rest of the table and even the one watching all these unfold from Italy reacted the same way; "What?"

"Damon! How come_ I_ didn't know about this? What happened exactly?" Elena shifted in her seat to face Damon, effectively dislodging his hand from her neck at the same time.

"What my brother failed to properly explain was that Ric passed out at the bar after he was sexually harassed by a gay biker guy, and we had to carry him out before _he_ got carried out through the back-door to have _his_ back-door...probed, if you get my drift. Then, since he's so heavy and so out of it, Stef suggested that we just check him into the nearest hotel and we left him there wearing only his boxers and a pair of socks. The condoms were just a prank devised to freak him out. They were not _used_ condoms, merely opened and rinsed to give a...similar effect. Nothing happened other than us having a good laugh about it that night and the next day when Ric showed up at the mansion freaked out and convinced he was anally raped. I'm sorry for the part _I_ played in this cruel joke, and it won't happen again. If it helps, the first thing out of his mouth was his concern over explaining it to _you_, Jenna," Damon shrugged and then he resumed his light strokes on Elena, this time on her thighs, his fingers feather light as they travelled up and down her legs. Time to move the game up a notch, he thought.

"Great! Now that we're all caught up on our misleadingly inappropriate antics, what say we revert back to the game, eh? Elijah, I believe it's your turn to call or to fold?" Ric reminded smoothly, having had enough of everyone's attention at his expense. He belatedly realized that he should stop hanging around people who knows so much about him and his...unfortunate gay-ish incidents. _That_, or just stop _having_ gay-ish incidents altogether!

"Alright, I'll call Damon's raise, but I'm really curious about the story of the Proposal Pantry. When I was showing Elena how to utilize the kitchen at one time, she mentioned about the uniquely named pantry and I've always wondered how that came about. Can someone please enlighten me on that?" Elijah asked with a curious expression on his face. Ric immediately followed suit, confident that his three-of-a-kind Queens were his winning hand. Jenna folded.

By now, Damon's fingers had found their way down to Elena's knee, squeezing it lightly before delving down to the tender skin on the other side. She immediately tensed up and glowered at his smirking face.

"I'm telling it, I'm telling it!" Caroline yelled, eager to contribute something juicy to their new friend. "We were playing hide and seek here one night; I was the seeker while the rest hid. I guess Damon and Elena chose the same place which is the pantry. I found almost everyone else except for Ric and these two," she indicated to the distracted couple on the opposite end, "and when I opened the pantry door, I saw Damon's back and then he turned around to glare at me, and that's when I saw the ring in his hand. Awww, he was proposing to her against the wall! It was so romantic! So I dubbed it the Proposal Pantry! And then last week, Ric proposed to Jenna in there too! I totally love this house!" she announced enthusiastically. The others nodded and smiled in agreement.

"What a wonderful story!" Elijah beamed, feeling privileged to be privy to the tight-group's secrets and experiences. He was honoured at how comfortable he already felt with them, even if he had barely spent an hour with these people!

"Yes! Oh God, please!" Elena suddenly breathed out, her face flushed and partially hidden by her long hair as she leaned into Damon's chest. For a moment, everyone's attention riveted on her, wondering why she was so enthusiastic all of a sudden. Ric pressed his lips together tightly to refrain from chuckling when Damon gave a smug smile and lifted his hand from _under_ the table, cracked his knuckles and blew on his fingers as if putting out a candle before turning to address everyone with an innocent grin. He dealt the fourth card and flipped it over onto the table, revealing an Ace. "Umm, Elena seems to think that I should raise, so twenty for me," and then he tossed four chips onto the growing pool before wrapping his arms around Elena's undetectably trembling body. God, he loved teasing her!

Elijah looked at his own cards for a moment, and then with a puzzled frown, leaned in and showed them to Bonnie, who was seated beside him. "Do _you_ think I should call?" he whispered, hoping for an equally enthusiastic response at his pocket Kings.

Taken aback that the hottie reporter would _ask_ her opinion, she pretended to seem like she knew what she was doing and nodded solemnly. Disappointed that she wasn't as verbal as Elena, Elijah shrugged and then threw in his chips. Over the laptop speakers, they could hear Jeremy snoring noisily as it was already 3 a.m. in Italy, so Bonnie just disconnected her Skype and declared "Jer folds!"

"I'm gonna go prepare some coffee for you guys," Elena mumbled as she stood up on legs that felt like jelly, her face still flushed from Damon's talented fingers. A moment later she leaned down and whispered in Damon's ear, "We _have_ coffee, right?"

As smart and multi-talented as Elena is, a housewife she wasn't, so with a laughing look, he whispered back, "Bottom shelf, third hanging cabinet from the left, babe!" and pressed a kiss to her cheek before he turned his attention back to the game. Ric had called his raise, so it was now down to the three gentlemen. Bonnie and Caroline went to help Elena with the coffee.

Damon overturned another card on the table, this time, a King. Surprisingly, Damon checked when he had consistently raised the past few rounds and then it was Elijah's turn. He threw four chips onto the centre of the table, raising the bet to twenty and then raised a challenging eyebrow at Ric.

Ric knew that he had a good chance at winning with three-of-a-kind Queens but Elijah seemed confident with his raise, so he stared back at him thoughtfully and that was when he felt something touching his foot. At first he thought someone just accidently rubbed against him but then what he assumed was someone's toe drifted up higher, now lightly tapping his calf. He sneaked a peek at Jenna to see if she was teasing him but she looked impatient for him to call. Then he glanced at both Damon and Stefan and they were _also_ waiting for him to either call or fold. Then, the 'toe' moved higher, now practically caressing his knee!

"Ric? Are you in or out?" came Damon's voice. The 'toe' was gone for the moment and he heaved a sigh of relief, hoping that it _was_ in fact Jenna, who might have tried to distract him. "I'm in, but I re-raise to forty," he cleared his throat awkwardly and then shifted his legs so that he sat at an angle, closer to his fiancée.

"Well,_ I_ fold, so it's you and Elijah now. What about it, Eli? Are you gonna call Ric?" Damon asked with a slight arch of his brow, catching Stefan's eyes as the brothers shared a look.

"W-w-why would he call me? He's not gonna call-" Ric broke off nervously when he felt it again; the insistent 'toe' rubbing back and forth around his ankle. At that precise moment, Elijah threw in his chips and announced, "I'll call you. Now let me see what you've got! I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Elijah said in his calm and cool voice, his steely eyes still staring intensely into Ric's, making the guy even more nervous as he gaped at the reporter, convinced beyond anything that he was openly hitting on him in front of his fiancée!

At this point, Stefan was just doubling over with laughter, his forehead resting on the table and his fists pounding on the surface as his shoulders shook violently. Then Damon followed suit, unable to keep a straight face anymore and removed his toe from Ric's ankle, certain that his buddy would have put two-and-two together by now and realized that it was the Salvatore brothers who were making him freak out.

"Oh man! Elijah! Your comedic timing was just...brilliant! 'Let me see what you've got...I'll show you mine if you show me yours!' The images that must have ran through Ric's mind...brilliant!" Damon managed to wheeze out in between laughter.

"What? I wanted to see Ric's cards! I've got three-of-a kind Kings, what about you Ric?" Elijah asked, confused as to what was happening around him. They were only on the first round of poker and already, all hell seems to have broken loose!

"The pot is yours, my friend! All I have are three Queens and a pair of jack-asses who think it's hilarious to mess with my head!" Ric growled with reluctant amusement as he shook his head at his two giggling friends, amazed at their level of maturity.

"I don't get it! What's so funny?" Jenna asked, puzzled at the boys' antics.

"Your sick nephew-in-law and his ass-hat of a brother think it's funny to play footsie with me under the table while making me think that _Elijah_ was trying to hit on me. Speaking of which, why where you staring at me in that peculiar way, anyway?" Ric flashed an enquiring look at the chuckling Elijah, understanding now dawning on his face.

"Well, Damon gave me a tip earlier that you'd fold if I stared at you confidently enough that you'd doubt the strength of your hand. I was just hoping you'd fold and I swear I was completely unaware at the goings-on underneath the table. You've got yourself a nice bunch of friends there, Ric," Elijah grinned just as the girls returned from the kitchen with a tray of coffee-filled cups.

"Sorry it took so long, we couldn't figure out the coffee machine. So, who won?" Elena asked as she distributed the coffee cups around excluding herself.

"Eli did, but Stef and I won on a whole other level," Damon chuckled again and shook his head, "I'll tell you later; it's a long story. Thanks for making coffee, babe," he said as he took a big sip, along with everyone else and then they all collectively spit the mouthful of coffee back into the cup, their faces in varying degrees of shock, disgust and just plain fear.

"What is it? Is it too bitter? I didn't taste it because I'm not allowed to drink coffee. Does it taste awful?" Elena sounded worried.

"No, babe, it's just...too hot. I burned my tongue. It tastes great, like everything you cooked for me," Damon smiled comfortingly and reluctantly took another smaller sip, just to ease her worry. He said it himself; he'd eat boiled charcoal if she prepared it and oddly enough, this coffee was what he imagined boiled charcoal would taste like! He felt better when she smiled and nodded and then disappeared into the kitchen again.

"Drink up, guys. You don't want to hurt her feelings," he whispered urgently to the rest, hoping that they'd cooperate. He took another sip of his coffee and shuddered violently.

"No, _you_ don't want to hurt her feelings. She wants to hurt _us_, apparently," Ric whispered back, unable to get the horrible taste out of his tongue. This must be what HELL tastes like!

"Did she put salt instead of sugar?" Jenna asked in disbelief, trying to swallow for the sake of her niece.

"Yes, I think salt and also ungrounded coffee beans," Elijah's eyes were wide with shock as the group watched him start to _chew_ the coffee.

"I think we should drink it while it's scalding hot; that way, our tongues will be burnt and we won't be able to taste anything then," Stefan suggested, all previous traces of hilarity from the prank played on Ric now completely gone at the thought of this new form of torture. "Ok, on three?"

"One, two, three," they all whispered in sync and then everyone of them proved how much they loved Elena by draining their cups and swallowing in a hurry, eager to get the ordeal over with.

"Oh God! Stop, you guys! You _all_ finished your coffee?" Elena exclaimed in horror as she rushed out of the kitchen. "I wanted to ask if you wanted cream with it."

"Oh, too late, babe. It was delicious enough without it. But, we were just talking about how coffee's bad for health, so we're all thinking of quitting it for a while. Anyone up for some scotch?" Damon asked, and then unsurprisingly, _everyone_ jumped up eagerly, heading for the liquor cabinet like a moth to a flame. Elena was left scratching her head as she wondered how scotch was any healthier than coffee.

* * *

><p>The hours flew by quickly after that. By mutual agreement, they abandoned poker for the rest of the night and occupied themselves with a game of Win, Lose or Draw. They divided themselves into equal groups of four; Male vs. Female, also known as Penguins vs. Purses, though the other six people didn't know why they were named as such.<p>

It was a night filled with insane laughter, heavy drinking – mostly to lose the aftertaste of Elena's skills in the kitchen – and also a night of discovery. The gang discovered that Jenna and Ric couldn't draw even if their lives depended on it, which made sense that they were made for each other; Damon and Elena could draw fairly well but they were the ones who made the most correct guesses- which proved that they _were_ meant to be together; Elijah and Caroline could draw very well – which proved that they were good in _anything_ and _everything_; and then there were Stefan and Bonnie – who proved that they could fall asleep under _any_ circumstances.

It was close to one in the morning when they eventually left, some of them drunk, some yawning away as they drove off into the night...or early morning. Finally, there was only Elijah left, standing just outside the front door, bidding the hosts goodnight.

"Thank you both for inviting me over. I must say I've never had such an experience before. You were right, Damon. These friends of yours, they are some kind of wonderful. I'm lucky to have met them, and you two, as well," he said sincerely.

"We're just glad you had fun at all. They're a good bunch of people once you get to know them. I know they'd love it if you came over to join us again soon, so we'll let you know when we plan something like this again. Even if it's just dinner...outside," Damon amended hurriedly when Elijah's eyes immediately zeroed in on his wife in concern.

"Maybe I'll _cook_ the next time and invite you all over. Oh, and I know I'm off the case now, but I wanted to tell you that I've been doing some thinking about what you found out. I wanted to advise you to hold off confronting Kat for now; you might have enough to implicate her but I think you should wait until there are more clues as to who's _really_ behind this. You should have enough on her to really push her so far up a corner until she has no choice but to reveal who else she's working with; her self-preservation skills are top-notch. She won't protect anyone if it means that she'll have to take the fall for them. That's the only way you can get her to talk. I hope you don't mind me saying this now," Elijah said, before waving farewell and turning to leave.

"Hey, thanks man," Damon called out and then waved back before he closed the door.

"So, are you going to take his advice? About Katherine?" Elena asked as they walked back towards the living room sofa, exhausted after the day they had.

"I already planned to do just that before he said anything. We now have a bigger fish to fry and as much as I would love to call Katherine out on what we _do_ know as at this moment, I'd rather wait and get rid of them once and for all. Don't worry about it; I am a man with a plan," he announced in a sing-song voice. He was already planning on leaking several projects' information to his ex, especially those with bigger contract amounts to see if his instinct about Nik is correct or not.

"You know, I think you should compile another list of projects, but _this_ time, pass a different set of information to both Katherine and Nicholas; same projects but different tender amounts, hers slightly higher than Nik's. Pretend that you have to take a few days off again like before, and then get Nik to handle the paperwork for you, but then in reality, you have a _third_ set of tender documents; this one with amounts even lower than what you've passed to Nik and those are the actual ones that you will tender with. Then, when your company wins all accounts, Mason Lockwood will lose confidence with both of them once and for all, and _then_ we bust Katherine. Hopefully, with nowhere left to turn to, she'll spill the beans to protect herself and we'll have Nik or whoever's guilty in the palm of our hands. Then this will all be over, for good," Elena explained with a determined look on her weary face.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you today? I do. I love a woman who's smart and sexy, and still manages to blush when I make her cum in the middle of a dining room in front of all our friends and in the middle of a poker game. I hope our daughter takes after you in _every_ single way; she'll be the most precious baby yet," he whispered lovingly, tracing a finger along her cheek, her exhausted smile filling up his heart with warmth. "Forget what I said earlier; I am a man who has a _woman_ with a plan, and she _rocks_ my world with a smile," he smiled back at her, looking deep in her chocolate-brown eyes as he leaned in with a kiss.

"Ewww, Damon! What have you been drinking?" her face screwed up with disgust when her tongue touched his and the leftover after-taste of her own version of coffee almost made her faint.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, it's a silly chapter but I'm in a silly mood. My mind is all over the place lately so I apologise for this weird chapter. I hope you enjoyed the sexual innuendos, though, even if they were at Ric's expense. But he's so nice to make fun of. I miss him and Jenna dearly.<strong>

**Oh and look, look, look! An empty text box below with nothing typed on it! WOW! Don't you just hate empty boxes? Imagine if you receive a parcel with your name on it, and then when you open it up, it's empty! Boxes are meant to be filled with lovely stuff! ! ! hence, the box below MUST be filled with words! Don't care what you write, as long as you don't send an empty box back! It's just common courtesy! **

**In case you're still confused over whether Ric is gay or not, let me spell it out for ya: R-E-V-I-E-W!**


	30. Chapter 30

**So far, no one has admitted to being the one who nominated this story for the W.I.P. Award. I don't why, but I won't bite you if you ARE the one. Come out, come out, wherever you are! Well, it's about time to start voting: from July 13****th**** to 20****th****, so I'm sure you know what to do...vote for your favourite story! It doesn't have to be mine! Visit ** energizewipawards . blogspot 2011/09/nominees . html **(remove the spaces)**

**I appreciate all your reviews, and giggling fits, or loud guffaws after Chapter 29. It's nice to know that my weird mood makes you happy and for that, I am grateful. Hope my other regular reviewers make their return as well. I miss you all!**

**Be warned: the roads up ahead are filled with potholes, so if you are not a fan of angst, then proceed with caution. **

**My twitter again, for those asking: cgsa_cher**

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><p><strong>Chapter 30: Flutterings<strong>

**(_Three weeks from Poker Night_)**

"Are you ready?" Damon asked with an excited grin, his fingers squeezing Elena's tightly as they stood in the elevator, watching the numbers lighting up on the small screen as they ascended higher up the building before coming to a smooth stop at the desired floor.

"Oh, yes! I've always wanted to see you in action," she almost skipped out of the elevator in her excitement at finally being able to witness him in an environment that was a big part of his life. He chuckled at her enthusiasm and held her firmly to him, feeling incredibly proud to parade his gorgeous wife around and to have her in his arms as he walked up to a familiar-looking woman seated at a desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Salvatore. I left your messages in your-" the woman started to say and then stopped abruptly at the sight of the younger brunette smiling hesitantly at her as she clasped her arm around her boss' waist.

"Rose, this is my wife, Elena," Damon announced proudly and it seemed to Rose as if she was being introduced to the Queen of England; such was the pride apparently displayed by her boss as he beamed down at his very pregnant wife. "Elena, this is Rose, my secretary. She's the only reason I am able to function properly at my job; she's quite a trooper."

To Elena's dismay, she watched the taller brunette blush at Damon's compliment and then held out her hand in greeting as she resumed her professional appearance. "Hello, Mrs. Salvatore. It's nice to finally meet you officially. I was at your wedding but we were never properly introduced. Congratulations to you _both_ on expecting little baby Salvatore. I must say that you look positively glowing!"

Elena couldn't decide if she liked Rose or not, but she shook her hand anyway and returned her smile as she studied the appealing features of Damon's secretary, her eyes taking in the extremely attractive way her business suit framed her model-like figure. Suddenly, Elena felt self-conscious as she looked down at her own simple burgundy dress that fell to her knees and cardigan, something she just threw on when Damon suddenly announced that she was going to his office with him that morning. They were supposed to work on the dummy tender documents for Katherine and Nicholas, so he suggested that they work on it together in his office.

Belatedly realizing that some form of response was required after the compliment paid by Rose, Elena just smiled shyly and rubbed her growing belly lovingly. "Thank you, but it's all _her_. We're expecting a girl, did Damon tell you that?" Surprisingly, Rose shook her head, "No, I haven't heard the wonderful news yet! She will be so adorable, especially if she takes after you, Mrs. Salvatore."

"Elena, please. Every time someone calls me Mrs. Salvatore, I automatically turn around, expecting to see Damon's mum," Elena chuckled and then felt Damon tighten his arms around her possessively, as if he liked it when she was called Mrs. Salvatore, reminding him that she was his and only his.

Rose nodded and smiled in understanding, "I know what you mean, but don't worry; Mrs. Salvatore hasn't been to this part of the office before so you're the only one so far. Can I get you both a drink?"

"Oh no, I don't want to trouble you, Rose," Elena quickly shake her head, not wanting to disrupt her normal work routine by her presence.

"It's no trouble at all! I'm getting Mr. Salvatore's usual morning coffee anyway. How about a nice steaming cup of herbal tea, decaffeinated?"

At Elena's puzzled gaze, Damon belatedly realized that he supposedly quit drinking coffee as of three weeks ago. Apparently, it was bad for health, but truthfully, it was only Elena's version of coffee that was life-threatening. "Umm, no coffee for me, Rose. Did I forget to mention that I quit drinking coffee a few weeks ago? Umm, all that caffeine is not good for health, especially now that I'm getting older. But the herbal tea sounds great! Thank you," he said with a firm nod, signalling her not to mention the fact that he had been drinking coffee every morning until as recent as the day before. Luckily, his trusty secretary was dependable in any situation, including this covert coffee white lie. She really deserves a raise.

"Not at all, Mr. Salvatore. In fact, now that you mentioned it, I _do_ recall you mentioning something about quitting coffee. I'll bring your herbal teas to you in a moment," Rose announced and then left to the pantry to prepare their drinks.

"Come on, babe. Let me show you my office. You'd love the killer view from my windows," Damon urged her to enter through a pair of timber doors that led them into a spacious and well-organized office, easily the size of a small studio apartment. The floor was covered with plush carpeting, and the entire left wall was basically panels of floor-to-ceiling height fixed glass windows, drawing a delighted gasp from his young wife who quickly ran to the large windows to admire the magnificent view.

"Wow! So, _this_ is why you like to work late into the night; to enjoy the breathtaking view of the New York skyline in darkness and twinkly lights! And here I thought that you were being hardworking and all! I'm _so_ gonna tell your father!" Elena teased as he went to stand behind her, hugging her from behind, his palms splayed low on her belly as he watched the distant hustle and bustle of a typical New York morning from way up high in his office with the _two_ loves of his life in his arms.

And that was the scene that greeted his secretary as she carried a tray with a pot of tea and two teacups with some muffins and biscuits through the open door. She let out a surprised gasp at the sight of her usually strict boss who has never looked so at peace and in love with the woman he held so tenderly in his arms. With his arms cradling her and their soon-to-arrive baby girl, they looked like a picture-perfect family against the clear blue skies as a backdrop with the morning sun streaming in from the windows, casting an unearthly glow over the couple as they stood there unmoving, simply admiring the scene below.

At one point or another, almost every single woman who came to work at Salvatore Corporation found themselves having crushes on the extremely handsome and charismatic Damon Salvatore, and some even made it obvious by coming onto him during staff functions or meetings. But he had never reciprocated any of their attention. In fact, he seemed to find their attraction to him rather a nuisance and clearly unwanted.

Rose was one of the women who admired her boss and had a small crush on him earlier on when she was first hired as his secretary but she didn't expect him to return her feelings or anything, so she eventually grew out of it and actually _preferred_ their strictly professional relationship. He was a great boss and she was happy to be working with him. But seeing him today with his young wife and so obviously in love, she felt a small twinge of envy towards the brunette standing in his embrace. But that resentment soon passed as she realized how right they looked together, much more than his seductive ex-fiancée Katherine Pierce could ever be. Plus, he seemed so much more relaxed and happier than she'd ever seen him, and for that, she was genuinely happy for him.

She cleared her throat to announce her presence in his office and deliberately coughed loudly as she made her way to set the full tray on his table. Her interruption worked; the couple turned to look at her and then Damon surprised her by calling out to her.

"Rose, can you please tell Elena what a workaholic I am that I hardly have time to even look out the window let alone stare at the view for hours without doing anything? She's threatening to tell my father that all I do when I work late is to enjoy the view and drink whiskey. She doesn't believe me when I tell her that I'm one of the most hardworking employee in the company and when I work nights, I actually _work_ nights," he said drily, smirking down at his wife as she giggled at his attempt to defend himself against her allegation.

"Well, Mr. Salvatore, I'm afraid I can't lie and say that I _do_ know what you do when you work late. Usually, I leave just after office hours, so I truly have no idea if you were working or otherwise when I'm not around. While I do agree that you're probably one of the most hard-working men in the company, I must, however, admit that you _do_ stare off into space quite a lot over the past few months," Rose said honestly, hoping that he won't fault her for being forthright in her answers.

"Ah, but I'm _thinking_ of Elena when I stare off into space, so that doesn't count. You hear that, Elena? I only started staring off into space since a few months ago. You're entirely too distracting for your own good, and for that, I will tell my father that _you're_ the reason I'm behind on my work. Soon, there'll be a memo going around that employees are not allowed to think about Elena Salvatore during working hours," he laughed out loud at her sudden guilty-conscious expression before she erupted into fits of giggles as she imagined how the memo would be worded.

Again, Rose gasped at the sound of his laughter, a foreign sound that was never heard before in the office; her boss was usually so serious and tensed, especially in his office where his father could walk in at any moment. In fact, she heard a rumour once that Damon Salvatore burst into laughter in the middle of a very important morning meeting, and then later, he excused himself and let out a roar of laughter as soon as he left the meeting room. She remembered that it was the first morning after he returned from his two-week medical leave, the morning when the whole office was in an uproar over losing several big accounts. She had thought that it was merely some office gossip or misunderstanding since Damon Salvatore never laughed in the office. But here she was; standing transfixed on her feet at the sound of his deep chuckle and the sight of his wide smile. _That_ moment, could very well go into a book of records of some kind!

"I'll leave you two alone now. Please don't hesitate to buzz me if you need anything at all," Rose announced and then exited the office, closing the doors behind her as she settled back into her office seat, her mind going over all the first occurrences today. This was such a juicy gossip if she was the type to run to the next willing ear to share such things, but she _wasn't_ the type, so Rose sat quietly in her own work station, typing on her keyboard even as she imagined herself with a swollen belly and a pair of arms belonging to her very own version of Damon Salvatore wrapped around her.

* * *

><p>"I think I like her, your secretary, Rose," Elena said suddenly after the doors to his office closed.<p>

"You _think_ you like her? Why the uncertainty?" he asked as he led her to his massive desk and passed her one steaming cup of herbal tea as she sat down.

"Well, she's _very_ pretty and exceedingly well dressed. She's also obviously very capable," she listed begrudgingly.

"Wait, are those reasons why you _may_ like her or not?" Damon's lips pulled upwards in amusement as he recognised the signs of jealousy.

"I haven't decided...the latter, I think. But she's also very nice and friendly. And she refers to you as Mr. Salvatore, which I think makes her really professional," she added generously, glad to know that when he worked late into the nights, his attractive secretary wasn't working right alongside with him. She felt somewhat more secure about that; the last thing she wanted was to let her mind wander off in the land of insecurities whenever Damon had to work late again. She genuinely believed that he wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize their relationship now that they've finally found their way back to each other. But still, Rose _was_ an attractive woman, and she _did_ blush when Damon paid her a compliment.

"Yes, she _is_ professional, and so am I. I have never been interested in inter-office romances nor have I ever been in one. I hired her for her skills and that's all. But, if you feel threatened, I could transfer her out of here and hire my mother if that would put your mind at ease," he said smoothly and casually as if he wouldn't even hesitate to do that if Elena asked him to.

"What? Don't be silly, Damon! I don't feel threatened, not at all. Okay, maybe I _was_ a little at first, but not anymore. Please don't transfer her out, not on _my_ account. And of all people, why would you hire your mother?" she giggled at the thought of his impossibly proper and formal mother with her perfect manners sitting in front of his office and bringing him herbal tea.

"First of all, you wouldn't feel insecure about my mother, and secondly, she _was_ my father's executive secretary once, a long time ago. That's how they met, actually. But I'm not one to follow in his footsteps in terms of marrying my secretary. I prefer to meet innocent teenagers in bars, getting them drunk after a very shitty day at the lawyers' office, and then seducing them into sleeping with me that same night and knocking them up so that they'd come knocking on my door one day with a very violent father next to them. If those teenagers would throw up the moment they see me, even better!" he finished with a grin as she let out a cheery laugh when she recalled the way John had practically dragged her to his family's mansion in the middle of his engagement announcement party, and then rushing into a restroom to throw up in. Good times!

"Well, if anything, that'll be a very interesting story to tell our grandkids one day, won't it? We should also tell them about our betrothal contract; I distinctly remember a clause about lactating nipples," she teased and watched her husband in amusement as he averted his eyes and cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable at the thought of the impending occasion where he had to get up in the middle of the night to feed the baby or change her diaper; all that he was willing to do, except for allowing his daughter to suck on his nipples – that was just so wrong on so many levels, he can't even imagine it!

"Errrm, your tea's getting cold and why don't we get back to the reason why you're here, besides being jealous of my secretary? Now these are the six tenders we're working on and the deadline is tomorrow. So, all we need to do now is to determine the figures we should input on each set of tenders..." Damon went on, his posture taking on his serious professional look as Elena watched in awe. He really _was_ a charismatic leader and it wasn't hard to imagine most, if not all, of the female employees falling a little bit in love with him at the office. As he tried to explain his costing for each project and how much they should mark-up to get the maximum chance to secure the projects, she couldn't help but to be impressed by this side of him that she hasn't seen before; the confident, enigmatic man who had a natural ability to immerse himself in such a complicated business world. It was obvious to anyone that he simply loved to do what he was doing, and he was in his element when surrounding by the corporate world. No wonder he had a hard time between choosing between her and his career way back during their wedding night!

"Babe? Elena? Why are you staring at me with a goofy grin on your face? Do I have bed hair or something?" Damon asked in the midst of explaining in great detail about the workings of preparing a contract when he finally noticed that she was lost in her own thoughts and wasn't even listening.

"Why do you wanna work for your father?" she wondered out loud. "I mean, obviously, he doesn't appreciate what you do for him _here_, so why don't you set up your own company and start from scratch? I think you'd be great in your own company. That way, you won't have to be at his mercy or anything like that," she pointed out.

He tilted his head to the side for a long while as he contemplated her question. Truth be told, he had never thought of starting his own company before since it has always been his dream to take over the family business once his father retires. "I guess I've always been groomed to take over Salvatore Corp. eventually. I mean, since I was a boy when I followed my father to work, I've only ever been able to imagine my future here, as the owner of my own family's business. I've built my life around this company and sacrificed a lot of things to be able to take over one day that I never stopped to consider any other options. Hell, I didn't even know that I _could_ have options, you know? It's been my dream from day one to make my father proud of me, and one day, _when_ I become the owner, then that dream would come true. I guess I never considered that instead of the question of _when_, it'll be _if_ I'd be the owner. I just assumed that since I was a Salvatore, then this will all be rightfully mine someday."

"I think that you are the rightful owner of this company, and if your father can't see that, then I feel sorry for him. But perhaps he'd be even more proud of you if you started your own company and succeed in that instead. Then you'd _really_ have made it on your own without daddy's influence, you know? You'd prove to everyone that you dared to step out of the Salvatore shadow and really work independently to build your own empire and also, your own reputation. After all, you're already so great at your job, why don't you just work for _yourself_ instead of for him?" she asked.

"It's an idea, for sure. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet, but perhaps someday I might change my mind and just break out and do my own thing. If I do, will you do it with me?" his brows raised up, his expression teasing.

"I don't know about working under you, I mean, I'm not that great at taking instructions, unless I have some input too. Who knows, I might not like you as a boss," she smiled coyly in respond.

"If you prefer not to be under me, then maybe you'll like to be on top of me, or on the same level as me?" he was positively leering at her now as his lips took on the shape of his famous smirk. Not one to bow down in a challenge, Elena stood up from her chair and made her way around the desk slowly, watching Damon straighten up in his seat with interest as she smiled flirtatiously.

"Are we still talking about work, Mr. Salvatore, or are you proposing to christen your office right here, right now?" her voice was downright sultry as she squeezed herself into the small gap between his seat and his desk, and then with a little hop, pulled herself up so that she was now sitting on the edge of his table, facing him.

His jaw dropped when her seated position enabled him to have an unrestricted view from his vantage point and he saw that she didn't bother to put on any underwear under that dress of hers. Torn between the urge to part her thighs to enjoy the view from up-close and personal, and to bury himself deep inside her right on the table, he did the only thing he _could_ do at the moment; "Rose? Can you please make sure that we're not disturbed at all as we are rushing for the tender deadline tomorrow?" Which he was – it was just a manner of time before his zipper burst from the pressure of his hard arousal.

The second he put his phone down, he pushed his chair closer to the table and then roughly pushed the hemline of her dress up until the tops of her thighs were exposed. He parted her thighs until his shoulders were able to fit in between them, then he arranged her feet so that they were resting on top of both his armrests. His palms rested on her knees as a start, and then they simultaneously moved higher up her thighs in an agonizingly slow speed, his warm hands barely grazing against her smooth skin, sending goose-bumps all over her body as she leaned back until her elbows rested on the table.

Her head was thrown back with her eyes closed as she felt his lips follow the path his hands took, from her knee and then slowly nibbling its way up her sensitive skin, until he came to the junction of her thighs where he could see the glistening lips, inviting his touch. Without further ado, he buried his nose right where her little nub was, his tongue flicking out to taste her fully as she moaned out loud at the sudden contact. Immediately, he could feel her fingers buried in his carefully arranged hair, messing them up as she pushed his head harder against her, as if she couldn't be near enough to his swirling tongue.

Loving how his day progressed from a business-centric morning to a full-blown mid-morning snack right there on his table, Damon shrugged off his coat without breaking his stride of bathing her core with his erotic tongue and lips, making her back arch off the table as her legs trembled uncontrollably.

"Ohh please, Damon, please don't ever stop," she gasped out when he started thrusting his tongue into her wetness repeatedly while his finger rubbed her clit firmly, her wetness flowing freely out of her. He could feel her thighs tensed up and her fingers were literally pulling his hair out as she writhed and moan under his assault. Sensing that she needed just a little bit more to push her over the edge, and hopefully, so that he had _some_ hair left on his head, he quickly shoved two fingers deep into her pulsing heat just as his lips wrapped around her swollen button and sucked hard. It was exactly what she needed for an intense orgasm to wash over her body, and he opened his eyes to watch her bite down on her bottom lips to keep from shouting out her pleasure as her hips came off the table from the impact. He kept his mouth on her, his tongue tapping firmly on her clit even as he withdrew his fingers from within her, prolonging her orgasm.

She waited for her shudders to subside before she sat up, grabbing him roughly by his tie around her fist and forcing him off his chair or risk being choked, so that she could wrap her lips around his. His mouth was so warm and she could taste her own juices on him but she didn't care; she kissed him hungrily as if her life depended on it and he found himself the recipient of a very erotic kiss, which he returned, equally as eager as she was. Her fingernails scratched across his back through his crisp white shirt and then she was pulling the ends up from his dress pants, until she could touch his bare skin.

Vaguely, he could hear his intercom ringing, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment; so lost in the heat of passion of this impromptu make-out session he was, until he heard the only voice that could possibly penetrate through his hazy mind at the time – his father! He frantically pushed himself off Elena and pulled down her dress to cover her bare lower body just as the door started to swing open.

"I don't care if he's having tea with the Queen of England, this is _my_ company and I'll walk into my staff's office anytime I damn well please! Now, get back to work while I-" Giuseppe halted in shock at seeing his daughter-in-law there and then his eyes narrowed in on their appearance; Damon's shirt was half untucked, his hair was sticking up in all directions, his tie was askew and his lips were swollen. Elena, on the other hand, looked alarmed but pulled together, her skin radiant and flushed as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Umm, we were just, umm, having tea and working on the tenders for tomorrow," Damon said loudly as he fixed his tie and attempt to smooth his hair to a somewhat manageable look. Elena whispered something to him, her lips barely moving but the next thing he did was to discreetly wipe his mouth and chin with his right sleeve while making it look like he was covering a cough.

"Ms. Gilbert! And what are you doing here in my son's office? This is a place of business, not a motel," Giuseppe's was annoyed at best as he walked further into the office to scowl at the couple.

"Father, I asked Elena here to help me with the tender documents. The deadlines are tomorrow and I needed some assistance," Damon started to explain while pulling on his coat to hide his arousal.

"Really? You need a teenager's assistance to help you with your job? How the standards have lowered since I put you in charge! Yes, I can see how on top of it you both were," the senior Salvatore's eyes took in the ruffled papers on the cluttered desk.

"Father, did you want to see me for something? Otherwise, we really do have to get back to work," Damon retorted, folding his arms defensively against his chest. He really hated how small his father made him feel sometimes. If he wanted to have sex with his wife in his own office, then damnit, he can and he will!

"Human Resources informed me that you applied for three days of leave again starting from tomorrow. What is so important that you have to take time off from work? You _do_ know that the tender is due tomorrow and yet you're shirking your responsibilities again? Do you want a repeat of what happened the last time you took time off work? Did the fact that we lost seven big accounts fail to prove how important it is for us to not lose another one again this time?"

"No, I'm very well aware of that fact. So much so that I got Elena in today to help me check through the amounts before we submit them in tomorrow. As long as I get this done by today, there's no reason why I can't take some time off for the next few days. As for the reason I'm applying for leave, well, that's for me to know and for you to dot, dot, dot," Damon smirked when his father's face turned red, probably not from blushing but more from frustration. _Hah! Served him right for barging in on us, _he thought to himself.

"Again, my question remains; how is a _teenager_ helping you in any way other than to provide a distraction from your work? I allow you to have your fun and get married to her because you knocked her up, but to bring her to the office and allow her to disrupt your work-" Giuseppe said but Elena cut him off, tired of being spoken about as if she wasn't there.

"I am _standing_ right here, and contrary to popular belief, besides having a brain in my head, I also have a pair of ears where I can hear perfectly well from! So don't speak to Damon as if I'm not here, and if you've taken the time to know me, you _might_ discover that I am capable of thinking and maybe, God forbid, even be intelligent. Also, what we do behind closed doors is none of your business, since _you're_ the adult and the owner of this company, one would think that you'd have the sense to knock first before entering someone's office, but one would be wrong, wouldn't they?" Elena's voice was biting with criticism, her eyes flashing with anger, but all Damon wanted to do was to snatch her in his arms and twirl her around in happiness and pride. She was magnificent, she was courageous, and she was _his_.

Giuseppe looked taken aback for a moment at being chastised for his lack of manners by a slip of a girl, a _pregnant_ girl at that, but before he could yell at her, she frowned and gasped as she grabbed her extended belly.

"Elena? What's wrong?" Damon demanded to know when he finally found his voice, his eyes narrowed in concern at her expression.

"I'm...not sure, exactly. It feels...weird," she whispered, her hands moving around her belly to pinpoint the exact location the discomfort came from.

"Perhaps you should sit down," Giuseppe suggested, and the couple looked up at him in shock as that was the first civil thing he said to Elena ever since he met her.

"Yeah, yeah, come on, just sit down for a while," Damon quickly recovered from his shock and then pulled her towards the leather sofa in a corner next to the huge glass windows. "Do you feel pain or something?" he asked worriedly, stroking her back soothingly while watching her face as they sat down.

"Not pain exactly, but I felt-I felt something moving in there, like bubbles popping," she answered, struggling to find the right way to describe what she just felt.

"Maybe she farted? Can babies fart when she's on the fifth month of her pregnancy?" Damon turned to as his father, hoping that he might have some idea, since he has gone through two pregnancies of his wife before.

"How should _I_ know? Ask her doctor," Giuseppe snapped. "Just get the tenders done and pray to God that we don't lose anymore projects to Lockwood." With that warning, he left the office without another word.

"Okay, let's just decide here and now that Grandpa's officially not invited to Little Purple's first birthday party. But he _does_ have a point. I'll call Dr. Hotness," Damon said as he reached into his jacket pocket for his mobile phone and dialled the number.

"Hi, this is Damon Salvatore. May I speak to Dr. Hot...err...Michaels please? It's an emergency," he hastily amended and waited as the call was patched through to the doctor's office. As he waited, he looked at Elena with a crooked grin, "You know, I was so proud of you for the way you told my father off earlier. I had to control myself not to jump you right there. All I wanted to do was to fuck you hard against my table until you scream the whole building-Oh sorry, not you Dr. Michaels," he pulled a grimace when he realized that Kol had answered the phone and had heard Damon's inappropriate conversation with his wife, causing her to giggle out loud.

"Elena's with me and she felt weird a few minutes ago," he paused and listened for a moment and then rolled his eyes at her, "No, it wasn't because we were having rough sex on the table! My father was with us in my office and - okay let me rephrase that," she giggled even louder at that. "We were _not_ having sex. We were having a disagreement with my father and she got a little angry, and then out of the blue, she felt something weird in her belly, like something moved in her. She described it as bubbles popping. Is that normal?" he listened for another moment and sighed in relief. "Yeah, okay, gotcha. Thanks, doc!" and then he hung up and grinned broadly.

"What did he say?" she asked eagerly, relaxed now that she knew it wasn't bad news.

"Well, Little Purple was probably angry at Grandpa so she decided to kick or punch him through your tummy. She must have your temperament if she can get so violent while still at an early age!" he pretended to glare at her and then softened as he laid his palms on her belly, willing the baby to move again. "He said it's known as 'quickening' and feels like popcorn popping or butterflies fluttering around in there. Was that what it felt like?"

"Yes, that's exactly what it felt like! Wow! She's moving already! She's growing up so fast in there. Do you think she can hear us?" Elena exclaimed in wonder.

"Yes, I think so. Otherwise, how else did she know that we needed her help to kick Grandpa out of my office? Way to go, Little Purple!" Damon rubbed his hands all over Elena's belly as if he was looking for the baby's tiny palm.

They spent the next hour on the sofa, both pair of hands flat around her belly to see if the baby decided to make an appearance again, until Elena finally decided that it may only happen when she's angry or if her emotions are running high, so they got back to work. Five hours later, the three sets of tender documents for the six projects were finally done.

The first set, with the highest tender amounts were for Katherine; was sent to Damon's apartment by a dispatcher under the pretence that he still didn't get around to changing his correspondence address yet and the secretary usually sends a copy to Damon's house whenever he's on leave or not able to receive them in his office.

The second set, with the lower amounts were for Nicholas, under the pretence that Damon was not around to drop the tender off at the respective offices, so he had to handover the documents to him instead. Nik would then instruct a dispatcher, who was pre-arranged by Damon to be one of his hired investigators, to insert the sealed tender documents to each office. However, in this case, the dispatcher would just hold on to those documents and returned them to Damon later.

The third set with the lowest amount, would be personally handled by Damon himself as he would be the one to hand-deliver them to the six respective offices and submit the tender documents himself. There was no way he would leave it to chance, not when they're so close to the finish line in their investigation. He really hoped that everything would be over and dealt with in three days' time when the tenders were awarded and announced publicly, and there were no rooms for error whatsoever. Everything would be revealed in three days. With that in mind, Damon led Elena out of his office, with the third set of documents sealed securely in six different envelopes and hidden in his briefcase. He was eager to get her home; another set of table in need of christening beckoned - his eight-seater dining table. He genuinely hoped that the table's support structure was strong enough for what he had in mind.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Three days later)<strong>_

"So let me get this straight; you organized barbecue night so that the guys can do the cooking _and_ the washing because the girls can't cook well?" Ric asked incredulously as he watched Stefan start to pile woodchips at the bottom of the barbecue pit.

"No, I organized it because the girls can't cook at _all_! Do I need to remind you about what happened on poker night?" Damon wagged a finger at Ric as if to warn him about the perils of leaving the kitchen or _any_ kitchen utensils unattended without male adult supervision.

"Please don't. I can still taste it! Well, your wife certainly cured me of my coffee addiction but she also boost up my alcohol tolerance level!" Ric shuddered as he cursed himself for not having the sense to say no to poisonous coffee in the name of friendship. Ah hell, he cursed himself for having no sense at all and for continuing to hang around with this bunch of people!

"I love my wife with every fibre of my being, but when it comes to her cooking, I would rather – hey, babe!" Damon broke off in mid-sentence when he spotted Elena walking towards him with a tray of marinated chicken wings and sausages. He flashed a warning look at his best friend and stood up to help her with the tray. "What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be inside, telling the ladies about Little Purple's first kicking experience and how you rendered my father speechless."

"That conversation was over an hour ago! Besides, I'm trying to avoid Care; she kept asking me why we bought a new dining table when the old one was barely used. It's like she knows," Elena dramatically lowered her voice down to a whisper as she shared a look with her husband who was her partner-in-crime at the time the legs gave out under the protesting table. "Anyway, I just came out to ask if you boys needed any help with the cooking," she spoke normally again and looked around to where Stefan was attempting to start a fire.

"NO!" came four different male voices scattered around the back yard; from Damon, Ric, Stefan and Elijah, who was cutting up firewood to be added to the pit later.

"You should go inside, away from the heat and rest your back. You said that your lower back was aching earlier, so why don't you go and relax? Let the macho men – no offence, Elijah! - handle the dinner for once and we'll holler if we need any help, okay? Now scram!" Damon lightly pushed her towards the door and after a puzzled look at him, she obediently went inside.

"One of these days, she's going to find out that you don't like her cooking and then she'll get angry at you for not telling her. You just mark my words," Elijah warned as he set down the wood pile on the floor beside Stefan.

"Oh Elijah, you foolish clueless man! Elena's gonna find it romantic and sweet that I ate everything she ever made without any complains, just because I love her _that_ much. Nothing says 'I love you' more than being willing to eat crap, so let that be a lesson to you guys. Never complain, never say no, never hesitate when she asks if she looked fat, and she'll never say no to sex ever again. There's some Damon-isms for you unmarried lot," he raven-haired man smirked smugly.

"I'm glad 'Never Lie' wasn't one of your marriage vows," Elijah commented drily.

"Hey, I have a Stefan-ism for you; never talk about a person without making sure they're not standing right behind you," Stefan kept a straight face on as he teased his brother, only to burst out laughing along with the other two guys when Damon whirled around with a guilty look on his face, fully expecting to come face-to-face with a pissed off wife, but luckily for him, she was still in the house, so he got to live another day.

"Dick!" he muttered under his breath when he realized that his brother was merely scaring him. Just then his mobile phone rang; it was Rose. She must be calling to let him know about the six projects they tendered for! There it was, the moment of truth...

"Damon Salvatore. Hey, Rose," he greeted in a clipped tone, moving slightly away from the others so that he had some privacy for whatever news she was going to give him. He listened attentively for a few minutes and then with a curt, "Thank you" he ended the call. He stood stock still for a moment, unable to believe what just happened. He expected the news, but now that it was confirmed, he could hardly accept the truth.

"Hey, was that what I think it was?" Ric called out when Damon made his way back to rejoin the group slowly, his expression tense.

"Yeah, it was the office, letting me know the results of the tenders," he said simply.

"Well? How many did we lose to the Lockwoods _this_ time?" Ric asked when Damon didn't bother to explain further.

"None. We didn't lose anything. We got them all. We got all six!" Damon announced animatedly when the news finally sank in.

"What? Are you serious? What did you do?" Ric exclaimed happily as he reached out to hug his buddy, consequences be damned.

"I just...did what I had to do. I can't believe it worked! Mason Lockwood must be pissed!" Damon laughed as he returned his hug, and then Stefan joined in, and after the briefest hesitation, so did Elijah, although for him, it may not be because he was happy for Damon's company but because he wanted a legitimate reason to have his arms around three very good-looking guys.

"Hey! What happened? What's with all the hugging? Did you manage to build the fire at last?" Caroline asked as the four ladies came out the backdoor to see what all the fuss was about, only to catch the four guys in the act.

"Elena, get in here! Rose just called. We got all six," Damon announced with a very broad grin.

"What? We did? Oh my God, I'm so happy!" she squealed, covering her gaping mouth with her hands as she ran forward to join in the celebration. The three girls; Jenna, Bonnie and Caroline just looked at each other and shrugged in confusion, then for the sake of being team-players, joined in too. The eight of them were hopping around like little kids as they came together in a group hug and then suddenly, Elena made an announcement, "Woah! She's kicking again. Little Purple is kicking again! She's happy too!"

Amidst lots of 'Awwws' and being fussed over by the gang, Elena heard Damon's phone ringing again but since it was so noisy out back, he looked at his the caller ID and then met her eyes over the joyful scene. In that instant, she knew it was the news they were waiting for. She gestured towards the house and then he nodded and answered the call in hushed tones as he hastily made his way into the now-vacant house to have some privacy. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to overhear his conversation with the head of investigator, so she distracted the others with updates of the baby's activities and fill in the three ladies on Damon's good news.

Half an hour later, Damon was still in the house and the guys finally had the fire started, so everyone started the barbecue going. Elena left everyone in high spirits and made an excuse that she had to use the bathroom and quickly made her way into the house. She couldn't see Damon anywhere downstairs and assumed that he was in one of the bedroom upstairs but before she could make her way up to him, the doorbell rang.

Puzzled over who would drop by when everyone else were already in the back yard, Elena hurried over to answer the door just as the bell chimed again impatiently.

"You! What the hell are you doing here?" she exclaimed in horror by way of greeting.

"Where's Damon?" the unwelcomed visitor entered without bothering to wait for an invitation and then walked around the hall and the dining, looking for the missing man.

"I asked you what you were doing here in my home?" Elena repeated, following the visitor around as she continued to look for Damon in the kitchen.

"And I asked you where's Damon? I need to talk to him, it's urgent!" came the irritating voice of the Queen Bitch with capital ITCH. Without waiting for an answer, Katherine made her way upstairs, ignoring Elena who was struggling to keep up to her crazed motion. Clearly, she was upset about the news of the recent tenders. Just as they reached the landing, Damon came walking out of the master bedroom, his mobile phone in his hand and then he stopped short at the sight of his ex.

"Damon, what did you _do_? I know you did something with the tender documents. What. Did. You. Do?" Katherine demanded as she glowered at him.

"Damon, she just-I couldn't stop her, I-" Elena tried to explain but Damon interrupted her.

"It's okay, babe, I'll handle this. You go ahead downstairs and join the others. Katherine and I need to talk," he gave her a comforting smile that was basically asking her to trust him and to let him confront Katherine, so she nodded stiffly and slowly made her way back downstairs, casting worried glances back at them as she did. He moved over nearer to the stairs to make sure that she made it all the way downstairs before turning back to face Katherine. Elena had no intention to leave him alone with _her_ in an empty house, so she decided to wait just at the bottom of the stairs to see if she could eavesdrop a little.

"Stop stalling! I know you had a hand in this! When we lost the Vitrox project last month, I already knew that something was up. But _this_ time, this time we lost all six projects? Do you know what I had to go through to get Mason to trust me? Do you even realize the damage you've done to me?" Katherine yelled, her eyes blazing as she walked over to him.

"Yes, actually I do. I just got off the phone with my team of investigators who gave me the blow-by-blow of what happened in the apartment earlier. So, Mason wasn't pleased at being the receiving end of your treachery, was he? He must have started to doubt you when he lost the previous project that you leaked to him, didn't he? But surely, he forgave you when he won the other seven projects amounting to almost a quarter of a billion. How are you gonna explain _this_ one, then?" Damon smirked, enjoying himself immensely. It was time for the whole truth, and nothing _but_ the truth.

"Investigators? You hired people to spy on me? How dare you?" she screamed.

"Oh, it was nothing. I merely bugged my own house. It's not my fault you committed a crime and decided to talk about it in a house that doesn't belong to you. I have the whole argument with Mason Lockwood recorded, by the way, along with your own admission of your guilt and his involvement in this corporate espionage. You can expect a letter from my lawyers tomorrow," he said, almost gleefully at the prospect of being rid of her and Lockwood for good. He was also putting up his apartment for sale as soon as possible.

"No! Please, Damon, you can't do that! I'll-I'll help you nail Mason Lockwood and the other party who helped him get the seven projects last month! I'll testify against them. Just please, don't do this to me!" she begged desperately, her eyes were wild with the real fear of being imprisoned for her part in all this.

"I don't know what I enjoy better; the fact that you're begging me or that you're not allowed to wear any of your fancy clothes other than an orange jumpsuit in prison. If I were you, I'd stick to the most powerful woman in prison and offer to be her bitch for protection. I don't think someone who looks like you is gonna be able to last long in there," he chuckled as she struggled to contain her horror at his description.

"Please, Damon. I love you, I always have! I had my reasons for doing what I did. I wanted financial independence from my father; I wanted to have my own success. You can understand that better than anyone! You wanted the same thing for yourself too! Damon, we were good together, weren't we? We were happy and we have our whole past between us. Come on, when you're done with your divorce, we'd get married and finally have the life we've always wanted. You can't send me to jail because you still loved me, right?" she pleaded, resorting to flirting when she realized that he wasn't budging.

"Katherine, wake up and smell the shit you poured on yourself. I have never loved you, I never intended to get divorced from my wife, and if you think that we were _ever_ happy together, you deceive yourself! You reap what you sow, Kat, remember that," he smiled sadly at her, as if he pitied her as she grasped at straws to save herself.

"I don't believe that for a second! I'm an heiress, your social equal! My father is Nathan fucking Pierce! Don't tell me you've fallen in love with that cow you married when you had me? No, you loved me. You still do! I can prove it," she walked right up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to pull his head down to hers. "Remember how much sex we used to have? The nights we went again and again, on the couch, against the wall, in the shower and sometimes, you couldn't even wait long enough to get us home? You couldn't have enough of me! I can make you feel all that again, Damon! We were amazing in bed, you can't deny that!" failing to get him to kiss her, she tried to unbutton his shirt instead, running her hands all over his hard chest and then trailing lower and lower to his pants.

"Stop it, Kat!" he bit out, swatting her hands away in disgust, "All that proves was how I couldn't stand you when we're not having sex. Imagine the best sex we're ever had? Well, that doesn't even _compare_ to the worst sex Elena and I had. What the hell am I saying? There's no such thing as worst sex with my wife. Every time I'm with her, I couldn't move for hours. I could barely breathe! And you know why? Because we _love_ each other, and that beats the lust I felt for you back then. Don't flatter yourself, Kat. You were nothing but a high-priced whore to me, and I'm sure, to many others too, so do yourself a favour and stop acting so cheap," his blue eyes were flashing angrily at hers.

"Yes, _Kat_! Why don't you take your filthy paws off my husband and go back to that brothel you came from?" Elena said silkily from the top of the stairs, shooting daggers at the other brunette with her eyes.

"You! It was all your fault! If you hadn't swooped in with your fertile eggs, we would have been married by now!" Katherine raged as she rounded in on Elena.

"Yes, should've, could've, would've, all the possibilities! But it _is_ what it is! Damon doesn't love you, and he married me. So, tough luck, buh bye and go home and cry to your daddy. Maybe he'd buy you a new life with all that money he has. So why don't you leave my house before I call the cops on you?" Elena turned around and started to walk down the stairs to open the front door.

"It's not even your house, so _you_ leave!" Katherine yelled furiously and shoved her shoulder, intending to push her aside but then, Elena let out a loud shriek as she lost her balance and twisted her ankle.

Damon watched it happen in horror as if in slow motion, but he couldn't move in time; Elena's face was twisted in pain and then she tumbled down the stairs, her back landing on the steps and bounced as she instinctively turned her body around and folded herself around her belly to protect the baby, but that meant that there was nothing that could stop her from hurtling down at a speed that could easily break her neck. When she finally landed at the bottom landing, the side of her head ricocheted off the wall with crack and then everything went quiet.

"Elena!"

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><p><strong>Remember, visit the Energize W.I.P. Awards website and vote for your favourite story from July 13<strong>**th**** to 20****th****. Visit ** energizewipawards . blogspot 2011/09/nominees . html **(remove the spaces).**

**Thank you all and have a great weekend! READ and R-E-V-I-E-W to show me how much you care! Elena's life depends on it...**

**My twitter again, for those asking: cgsa_cher**


	31. Chapter 31

**A big fat THANK YOU to those who voted for me for the Energize W.I.P. Awards and also those who reviewed/alerted/favourited this story. **

**I know you're all anxious to know the update on Elena and Little Purple, so here's the next chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 31: Heartbeat<strong>

"Elena!" Damon shouted as he pushed the frozen Katherine aside in his haste to get to the prone figure at the bottom. "Stefan! Ric!" he shouted just as he crouched down low to check on his wife. There was already a slight bruise at the side of her head where it connected with the wall and her left ankle was swollen as well.

"Damon? Did you want-what happened?" Ric asked when he saw Elena lying on the floor, unconscious. Soon, everyone else followed after Ric into the house, still smiling and talking until they saw Damon's face as he stared down at his wife.

"Oh my God, Elena!" Jenna screamed in horror as she rushed to her niece's side.

"I-I don't know, one second she was on the stairs and the next, she was already-what do I do? Should I move her? I don't want to risk any internal injuries. I saw her fall, Ric. I heard the sound when she hit her head. I don't know wh-Elena? Please, wake up! Can you hear me? Please, open your eyes and tell me you're okay," it was his turn to beg as tears ran down his face. He has never been more frightened in his life!

By some miracle, Elijah was the only one with a clear head as he started to bark orders around while the others were still reacting to seeing Elena hurt without knowing why. "Damon, pick her up gently and put her in the car. Ric, grab some kind of ice pack or a bag of frozen peas from the freezer and hold it against the bruise on her head, and then help Damon by supporting her neck and head. We'll drive her to the hospital; it's faster than calling for an ambulance. Stefan and Caroline, you stay here and put out the fire and pack some of Elena's things that she may need at the hospital. Jenna, call ahead to the hospital and tell them that a pregnant woman who fell down the stairs and might have head injury is on the way to the hospital. Tell them to get a stretcher ready and the emergency doctor on standby. Bonnie, call her obstetrician and get him to go over to the hospital too. Then you guys meet us at the hospital. Come on, Damon! Let's move!"

And with that, everyone got into motion, following Elijah's orders to a tee. Everyone, except for Katherine who still stood motionless at the top of the stairs, hidden from view. "Damon, I'm so sorry. It was an accident, I swear! I didn't mean to push her, I was just so angry...I-" she said softly, her voice pleading for him to understand but she stopped when he turned his icy gaze on her.

"You stay the hell away from me and Elena from now on. Get out of my sight before I change my mind and stick a knife into your heart myself," he growled and turned back to carefully lift Elena up in his arms before heading outside to the cars with Ric right beside him.

At the sound of her voice, Elijah stiffened at the base of the stairs and watched the woman he didn't expect to see in the house slowly walk down the stairs, her expression one of terror. Her anxious eyes met his for a moment, and her reaction was almost funny when she jerked her gaze away from his and practically ran out of the house. Anger flowed through his entire body at the thought of his ex causing harm to a sweet and innocent girl like Elena.

Keeping his emotions in check, he nodded to the others before making his way outside while he pulled his phone to his ear. By the time he reached the car, he was done with the call and Damon and Ric had already loaded Elena in the car. Damon was seated at the backseat with Elena in his arms, his face pale as he held her gently, still pressing a bag of frozen peas against the side of her head, while Ric was in the driver's seat, putting the car into gear as Elijah hopped in beside him.

No one said anything during the torturous journey to the hospital; they were all wild with worry, and there was nothing important enough to say when they were in danger of losing the girl they had all come to love, or the baby inside her. Or even both. And _that_ thought, was...unthinkable.

"Baby," came a whisper through the thick silence in the car. Damon immediately sighed in relief and then smoothed her hair from her face as he watched her lids flutter.

"Elena, you're okay! We're on the way to the hospital now. How do you feel? Does anything hurt? Your head?" Damon whispered softly so as not to frighten her or make her anxious.

"Baby," she whispered again, but this time, her eyes opened a little then closed again.

"I'm sure she's okay, don't worry. Elena, open your eyes, babe. I know it hurts and you're tired, but you can't go to sleep. Elena, talk to me," his voice was gentle but firm as he stroked her cheek, wiling her to open her eyes so that he could see that she was okay. With her eyes still closed, her forehead creased as she moved her head slightly to avoid his fingers, keeping her from the pull of unconsciousness.

"Hang in there, babe, we're almost there. You'll be okay, you'll be fine. You have to be," he whispered, almost to himself as he gripped her tighter to him.

A few short seconds later, their car pulled up to the accidents and emergency department's entrance and it looked like Jenna had done her part, as two hospital staff quickly approached the car with a stretcher ready.

"Are you Mr. Salvatore?" one of the staff asked when he threw the door open.

"Yes. My wife, she fell down the stairs and hit her head pretty hard. She was unconscious for at least five minutes, and then she came to in the car," Damon explained shakily.

"Alright, sir, can you please step out of the car while we move your wife? Someone called earlier and mentioned that she's pregnant? And how high were the stairs when she fell?" the staff asked as Damon gently laid Elena's head down on the seat and climbed out of the way so that they could get her out onto the stretcher.

"I think about eight or nine steps...she's five months along. Is she gonna be okay?" Damon asked anxiously as he watched them transfer her out of the car and pushed her into the building as a nurse checked Elena's stats.

"We're not sure yet, sir. Would you please fill in some of the patient's details at the counter while the doctor checks her out? We're gonna need some of her information like blood type, allergies, and other relevant medical history," the staff said as he wheeled her into a room and disappeared before Damon could respond. By now, Ric and Elijah had parked the car and were now standing around him, waiting for news.

"Damon, we can't do anything for Elena right now, except for providing as much details for the doctors as you can. Come on," Elijah led him over to the receptionist who held out some forms for him to fill in. After writing down the basic particulars like name, address, age, sex, and insurance, Damon stared helplessly at the medical history section where they asked for her blood type and previous illnesses.

"I can't think right now, I-I don't know some of it! I'm just so worried about her and the baby, that I-I just can't," he shook his head in frustration as he looked towards the double doors that she went through a moment ago.

"Here, I'll fill these in. I have her medical information with me," Dr. Kol Michaels suddenly materialized out of the blue beside him, holding a file Damon assumed was containing Elena's pregnancy details and all necessary information required by the hospital. Damon nodded his head at the doctor gratefully and sank down in a chair as he thought about how everything was fine and happy barely an hour ago. How could things turn out so wrong, so fast within the space of an hour? Oh yeah, _Katherine_ happened. His hands were in fists beside him as he recalled the way she had barged into their home, being all indignant and angry for being caught red-handed. And then she had the cheek to proclaim that she loved him and flirted with him to avoid being hauled into jail! No wonder Elena was angry and wanted to kick her out of the house!

"Damon, you should know that I called the cops earlier. I wasn't about to let Katherine get away with pushing Elena down the stairs," Elijah spoke suddenly, guessing correctly at the reason Damon's knuckles were white with fury.

"I can't even think about that now, not when Elena's-" Damon took a deep breath and buried his head in his hands, "I don't care what happens anymore. I just want my wife and my daughter to be safe. She _has_ to be okay," he whispered helplessly.

"Damon, what happened? Why was Katherine in the house? What's going on?" Ric asked when he couldn't stand not knowing anymore. For weeks, he had felt like there was something happening that Damon didn't share with him, and what with the sudden appearance of Elijah - an investigative reporter – in their midst, it had to be more than merely a new friend giving career advice to Elena! No, they were mixed up with something that had something to do with Katherine, and he also had a nagging feeling that it had something to do with Salvatore Corporation winning all six contracts that very same day. He stared at Damon's bent head with a frown but he didn't seem to have heard him.

"Damon! How is she? Is she going to be okay?" Jenna had arrived with the rest of the group, and they were rushing over to the three guys in the waiting room.

"We don't know yet. The doctor's with her now," Ric answered when Damon didn't seem like he was able to after a lengthy silence. Nobody knew what else to say at that point, so they just sat down, looking at each other as they worried together.

"Best-friend-Bonnie?" Kol greeted when he approached the group, recognizing her from when she accompanied Elena for her very first check-up.

"Dr. Hotness - I mean Dr. Michaels, hey!" Bonnie gave a small smile as she blushed at his friendly gaze. Sure, her best friend might be fighting for her life, but damnit, her obstetrician was hot!

"_You're_ Dr. Hotness? Wow! You _are_ hot!" Caroline spoke up then, her eyes wide as she let her eyes drank him in. If she was still single, she'd _totally_ tap that! So engrossed with the young doctor was she that she didn't see Stefan shaking his head at her outburst.

"Umm, thank you, err, Elena's blonde-and-forward-friend, but I kinda wanted to talk to Damon for a while. Will you please excuse us?" Kol blushed at the attention but nodded his head at Damon, who had snapped his head up when Kol mentioned his wife's name and hastily stood up and followed him to the side, along with everyone else who couldn't wait for Damon's second-hand news.

"Okay, I went in to check on Elena for a moment, and while there's some blood spotting, I could still hear the baby's heartbeat and there seems to be no immediate danger to the fetus at the moment. So, while her state of pregnancy is stable for now, I can't really say the same for her head injury or any other parts of her body. From what I gathered in there, she has a bad sprain on her left ankle, both her elbows are badly scraped, she has multiple bruises on her back and shoulders and the ER doctor is getting an assessment on the bump on her head. They're bringing her over for a CT Scan to get a better idea and you'll know more later. But for now, the baby's fine, okay? I'll go back in there to see if I could get more information," Kol gave a comforting pat on his shoulder and then excused himself to go back in through the double doors.

"What does he mean by 'no immediate danger' to the baby? Does he mean there _could_ be later? And what happened back there, Damon? Why was Katherine at the house and did she really push Elena down the stairs?" Jenna demanded to know when Damon stepped backwards only to slide down the wall to land on a heap on the floor as he processed what Kol had said. _The baby was fine, but Elena was still in danger. His baby was fine. His wife might not be_. He felt feverish and yet chilly all at the same time as he tried to contain his rising panic at the thought of not being able to see her again. This was all wrong.

"I shouldn't have persisted in the case. I should have left it all to rot. It shouldn't happen this way, not to Elena. Katherine wouldn't have barged into the house and Elena would still be enjoying barbecue night at the house. It's _my_ fault! It's all my fault! _I _did this to Elena. I shouldn't have chosen the company over her that night. Everything would have been fine if I chose Elena and our child! I could lose her tonight! If I lost her, _everything_ I did for the company wouldn't have mattered anyway! Nothing matters; not my father, not my career, not justice! Don't you get it? It doesn't fucking matter," Damon mumbled as he raised tear-filled eyes to meet Jenna's sympathetic ones, imploring for her to understand his part in what happened to her niece.

"What the hell is he talking about? What case? Ric?" Stefan turned to the head of researcher hoping that he could shed some light to the things that spewed out of his brother's mouth, but Ric shook his head, unable to provide any answers.

"Since the case is coming to an end anyway, there's no harm in letting you guys know what Damon, Elena and I have been working on. For the past one and a half years, your father's company has been losing big projects to the Lockwoods, and Damon suspected some foul play involved, especially when he caught Katherine cheating on him with Lockwood," Elijah started telling the five of them. He went on to tell everything that he knew about the case but then paused when it came to what happened at the house earlier. "I assumed that Katherine was upset when the Lockwoods lost all the tenders, didn't she? That's why she went over to the house, to scream at you, didn't she? Damon?" his soft brown eyes stared hard into watery blue ones, hoping for some information regarding Elena's 'accident'.

Damon sighed deeply, knowing that he couldn't avoid replaying the whole scene in his head anymore, even if his heart twisted at the thought of his inability to stop what happened. He couldn't forget that awful sound he heard when Elena's head hit the wall. He literally flinched as he remembered it again and again.

"Mason went ballistic at Kat earlier, and I had their entire conversation recorded. She came over basically to accuse me of sabotaging her with Mason's trust. I told her that I had proof of what she and Mason had been up to and to expect my lawyer's letter. You know how she is, Elijah; she tried to pull the past-relationship card and flirt her way out of going to prison, and that's when Elena came upstairs to chase her out. Kat was furious and upset at Elena for ruining her marriage to me, and then as Elena turned back to go downstairs, Kat...pushed her and then she fell! The next thing I know, there was this sickening sound I heard...a crack, and then she wasn't moving. That's all that happened until you guys came in," Damon closed his eyes when he finished, letting his tears slid down the sides of his face. He felt like he was burning, fire all around him, as if he was in hell just then. Never again, will he put anything above and beyond Elena and his child. Never.

"But we heard Katherine say that it was an accident. _Was_ it deliberate?" Bonnie asked then, hating this woman who had brought her best friend nothing but pain ever since she met Damon.

"I honestly don't know. I saw Katherine reaching out and touched her shoulder, and then Elena must have twisted her ankle and then lost her balance, but I can't be sure. Does it even matter now? Elena's hurt and I still don't know if it's as serious as I think it is. I don't care if Kat's innocent or guilty; I just want Elena to be safe."

"Well, the cops _are_ going to care since I asked them to pick her up earlier. They're going to want to talk to you since you were the only witness at the time," Elijah reminded. "But don't worry, let Katherine stew in the lock-up overnight, or if they allow her to post bail, at least she won't be allowed to leave the country for the other charges you're accusing her for. I'd better go down to the station and see the situation down there. I'll call if there's anything you need to know, and I hope you'd do the same when you know more about Elena. Chin up, Salvatore; she needs you now more than ever," that was Elijah's parting words before he left the group and made his way to the other side of town.

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><p>The group waited anxiously as they sat in that waiting room, hoping that the double doors would open and the doctors would come to tell them that everything was fine. And so they waited, and waited, and then waited some more. Bonnie and Stefan had fallen asleep, because, well...that's what they do; whereas Caroline and Jenna were sitting in a corner, talking softly. Ric was now on the floor right next to his buddy Damon, both drinking their fourth cup of coffee to stay awake, although really, no level of tiredness could make Damon fall asleep until he'd seen Elena.<p>

And then at almost one o'clock in the morning, the double doors _did_ swing open; revealing both the ER doctor and a weary Dr. Michaels. Damon immediately got to his feet and approached them while the rest of the group gathered themselves and crowded around the trio.

"Mr. Salvatore, as Dr. Michaels told you earlier, we ran a CT scan on your wife, and although she appears not to have any bleeding under the skull or within the brain tissue, she _does_, however, have a skull fracture. Now, the type of fracture she has is a simple linear fracture; it does not increase the likelihood of an injury to the brain unless there are other signs or symptoms, but we've monitored her for a few hours, and other than a concussion, she appears to be fine," the doctor gave him a comforting smile at that and Damon visibly relaxed.

"This kind of skull fracture doesn't require a specific treatment other than giving it time to heal on its own. It should be rather straightforward unless some other symptom shows up days or even weeks later. As for the concussion, you did well by applying that bag of frozen peas directly to the swelling earlier. She lost consciousness for a few minutes earlier, right?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, for about five minutes but then we were already on the way here, and she woke up in the car, asking about the baby, but she didn't say anything else. Is that a bad sign?" Damon braced himself for some kind of bad news; he couldn't believe how lucky he was that it wasn't as bad as he had imagined.

"Well, that's pretty much expected for a patient with concussion. When I examined her earlier, she complained of a headache, nausea and some degree of confusion, but other than that and the pain, she seems to be handling this better than expected. What's worrying us now, is that she's still spotting a little, meaning that we'll have to watch her closely over the next few weeks to see if the bleeding gets heavier or if it stops completely. But judging by the amount of bruises on her back and shoulders, it seems that your wife's natural instinct was to hunch forward to protect her belly as she fell, therefore bearing the brunt of the impact on her upper body. She's a strong one, she is, and while she didn't exactly escape unscathed, a fall like that could have easily killed her, so we'll take that as a good sign. I'm going to admit her for a few days until her condition is more stable, but until we know _that_ for sure, I'm going to put her as CRIB - Complete Rest In Bed - and _no_ physical activity whatsoever. That means, _zero_ stress. This is a very sensitive time for your wife; the situation may just worsen just like that, so be _very_ careful. We've put her under medication for the pain and to relax her, so she's resting now, but if you'll follow the nurse, she'll show you where she is," the doctor said, nodded briefly and left with Dr. Michaels.

Damon could hear a collective sigh of relief from the rest of the gang, but he refused to let his guard down until she was completely out of the woods. Like the doctor said, there were still complications and her condition may worsen at any time. Whatever the case may be, he was not going to leave her side, not until she's given the clean bill of health!

So, it was with trepidation that he and their friends followed a nurse upstairs to one of the rooms in the private wing. When Damon saw her for the first time after they arrived at the hospital hours ago, he could feel tears threatening to fall from his eyes again. He was so grateful to be able to see her face again and to hold her hand as he waited for her to wake up that he felt like going to church suddenly! But he made a promise to himself that he wasn't going to leave her side, and he intended to stick to that promise; it doesn't matter if he didn't shower for days or if he had to pee in a bottle, she was never going to be out of his sight again.

He pulled a chair right up to the side of her bed, and as he sat down, he grabbed one of her hand and laced his fingers through hers. It felt comforting, to be able to feel her soft skin and thin fingers with her wedding ring on one of them. There was a soft cast on her left ankle, her elbows were now bandaged and he could also see some bandages at the back of her neck, which perhaps ran all the way over her shoulders. He hated seeing her that way; in any other way other than being perfect, no wounds or bruises on her skin.

"Can somebody call Elijah to let him know what the doctor said? I don't want him to worry," Damon said softly, feeling grateful to the reporter for his quick thinking earlier at the house, and also for handling Katherine's case earlier. It was amazing what a good friend he turned out to be, even if they only knew each for such a short time.

"Yeah, I'll call him. Do you need anything, Damon? More coffee?" Caroline asked, her hand reaching out to gently pat Elena's other hand.

"No, I'm supposed to have quit. I don't think I'll ever drink coffee again; I hate lying to Elena. Hey, I'm sure you guys are tired. You all can go home and get some rest. I'll be fine here on my own. I'm not tired," Damon said, sweeping a quick look at the exhausted faces around him.

"No, I'll stay too. She's my niece, Damon. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to, not after tonight," Jenna said firmly. Caroline nodded in agreement, "Yeah, me too. We love her too, you know?"

"Yeah, I'm staying too! She's like my sister and I can't sleep anyway, not knowing if she'll really be okay," Bonnie spoke up, which Damon found to be amusing because she could sleep through anything!

"We'll all stay, take turns to look after her, while the others get some rest," Stefan suggested.

And so they all managed to find their own corners in the massive hospital room, some curled up on the three-seater couch, another one stretched out on the coffee table, another joined three chairs together to form a bed. But Damon remained by Elena's side, his eyes trained on her face for any signs of her awakening. Soon, the conversations died down as they fell asleep, one-by-one, even Damon who was lulled to sleep by the sound of even beeps on the EKG heart-beat monitor, still holding onto Elena's hand.

He did not see her opening her eyes at five in the morning, dazed and confused until they rested on his face, resting just beside their joined hands. He did not see her wince in pain or the annoyed look on her face as she listened to the irritating beeps of a machine. He didn't see her eyes sweep over across the room to see everyone she cared about being there for her. Lastly, he didn't see her frown and then she closed her eyes, willing for some peace at long last.

And then the EKG monitor beside her bed flatlined, the even beeps now constant, without any breaks in between. Just a long flat piercing sound that penetrated the ears of everyone, waking all the other occupants in the room.

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><p><strong>And then Elena died. <strong>

**The End.**

**Just kidding!**

**Jeez people, what's with the rotten eggs and tomatoes?**

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><p>Six people jumped up as if they've been poked by a hot branding iron and then they were crowded around the bed, panicking at the sight of the horizontal line displayed on the monitor and the still figure lying on the hospital bed.<p>

"No! No, no, no, no, Elena! You are not dead! You are _not_ dead!" Damon cried out with anguish, his hands wrapped around her shoulders and shaking her roughly to try to wake her up. Jenna, Bonnie and Caroline all erupted into tears, with Caroline screaming "Code Blue!" at the top of her lungs.

"Oww! Stop it!" they heard suddenly and Damon watched in disbelief as he saw Elena's eyes open and glared at him angrily. _What?_

"Elena? You're not dead?" he asked stupidly, his heart soaring with relief but yet unable to believe his eyes. Could it be that he just lost his mind at the thought of losing his wife and child at the same time?

"Not yet, but I _will_ be if you keep shaking me! And turn off that damn machine, will ya? I have a headache," she managed to croak, ignoring the shocked gasps around her. Just then, two nurses ran in with a defibrillator cart, and a syringe filled with some drug, but they stopped in confusion when they saw Elena, no doubt awake and pissed off, but alive nonetheless.

"What happened? Is there something wrong with the machine?" Damon quickly moved out of the way as they checked on his wife. And luckily, they turned off the machine just as Elena was about to leap off the bed and threw it out of the window.

"Yes, it keeps making annoying beeping noises! And my head hurts like hell, so I pulled the wires out. Did I scare you? Oops!" Elena smiled suddenly, rather enjoying herself at making Damon, her friends and the nurses panic, although she felt much better now that it was quiet again. Well, served them right for putting the annoyingly loud machine right next to her!

"Oops? _OOPS_?" Caroline shrieked incredulously, her high-pitched voice going a few octaves higher and caused Elena to wince at the decibels. "We thought we lost you, and all you could say is 'Oops'?"

"Calm down, Care. Only _dogs_ can hear you now. She's okay, she's fine. Elena, you're okay, right?" Stefan asked his sister-in-law after rolling his eyes at his girlfriend.

"I guess so, but I kinda wish I can unscrew my head, detach my shoulders and unfasten my leg because I feel as if I got run over by freight train. Maybe it's time to bring out the bourbon, eh Damon?" she turned her attention to the silent man beside her, still staring at her as if he couldn't believe his eyes. He smiled a little at her reminder of the time he was assaulted by her real father and to numb the pain, he'd basically drank half a bottle of bourbon just so that he could make it home to her on her birthday without collapsing in a heap on a sidewalk.

"I'll give you an injection now to help with the pain, Mrs. Salvatore," one of the nurses said kindly as she administered a needle into a tube at the back of her hand. "There you go, dear. You should feel better soon. I'll let the attending doctor know that you're awake and he'll be in shortly to check on you. Your friends should leave soon too, since you're not allowed to have so many visitors at one time. Don't take too long, alright?" she smiled kindly and then left the room.

Immediately, Bonnie and Jenna both bent down and hugged her as tight as they could without hurting her too much, glad that she was awake and talking again. "Please don't scare me like that again! I almost lost my mind when I heard the monitor go flat lined!" Jenna scolded, shaking her head at the memory.

"Guys, before we proceed, I just wanna do a little test, just to see if she's really alright. Okay? Ready?" Caroline asked as she sat down on the bed beside Elena's hip. At her nod, Caroline held two fingers up in front of her. "Okay, how many fingers do you see in front of you?"

"Five," Elena answered smoothly, and then six pairs of eyes immediately snapped to her face in disbelief.

"Look again. Now, tell me how many fingers?" Caroline repeated, her expression now anxious.

"I looked, and I counted. The answer is five," Elena answered firmly. Damon, who resumed holding her hand again after the nurses left, tightened his grip on her in concern.

"Do you think it's the concussion? The doctor said that she was confused. Maybe the concussion is more severe than he thought," Ric spoke then, his eyes on Damon.

"Guys, I'm not confused. I can see clearly! See, two fingers in a vee and the other three folded down. Five! Jeez, do I need to get you guys a calculator?" Elena rolled her eyes and then grinned happily because that action did not cause shooting pains to burst on the side of her head. Perhaps the pain medication was working!

"Ha ha, Care, she's right, you know?" Bonnie remarked with a little giggle, glad to see her best friend's humour make a return.

"Hmm...let me ask another one. What is your name?" Caroline's face was serious as she regarded her friend.

"No, it's not," Elena shook her head.

"What?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah, that's not my name," Elena exclaimed with enthusiasm. This time, her aunt and friends looked at each other with alarm. Only Damon continued to stare at her, but with disbelief and then a soft smile beginning to appear on his lips.

"Wait, I asked you what's your name," Caroline repeated slowly.

"Yeah, I _heard_ you, but I'm telling you it is not!" Elena answered in an equally slow manner.

"Not what?" the blonde looked about ready to pull her hair out in frustration.

"That's correct!" Elena smiled triumphantly, and this time Damon's shoulders were shaking suspiciously, his forehead on top of their clasped hands, so his face was shielded from everyone.

"Umm, what is _his_ name?" Caroline pointed to Damon.

"Absolutely not!" Elena exclaimed indignantly.

"Not what?" Caroline asked for the second time, oblivious to the dawning looks of the people around her.

"Right again!"

"What is _my_ name?" Caroline asked instead, belatedly realizing the soft giggles coming from Stefan, Jenna, Bonnie and Ric.

"Wrong again, Care!" Elena grinned broadly while Damon burst out laughing, snapping his head up and then leaning in to kiss his wife soundly.

"I think Katherine broke our Elena," Caroline announced confidently, even while the group erupted into peals of laughter at Elena's word trick.

"Care, Elena's playing with you. She's fine, see?" Stefan chuckled as he hugged his confused girlfriend from behind, gesturing his head towards the kissing couple on the bed.

"Yes, she seems _more_ than fine now; think we should give them some space?" Caroline asked as she averted her eyes from seeing a full make-out session happening on the hospital bed at that moment.

"Yes, _please_! They seem to _like_ having sex when one of them is badly injured!" Ric agreed hastily before he quickly made his way out of the room, right in front of the rest of them, leaving Damon and his wife alone.

Joy exploded in his heart when it finally dawned on him that Elena was fine; after a crazy hectic night of endless worrying, she was right there, _alive_ in his arms again. Cupping her cheeks gently in his palms, he finally tore his lips from hers and gazed deeply into her eyes, grateful to have the chance to see her warm brown pools filled with love and just a little hint of tease.

Elena gazed back at him and she could see the pain he went through that night, waiting for her to wake up, or to be able to tell him that she was going to be fine. She watched his mouth part slowly and she knew that he was going to say something that would mean a lot, since they were going to be the first words spoken to her since he realized that she was fine. She held her breath as she prepared herself for some kind of declaration of love or some expression of his joy for not losing her. But what he said shocked her to her very core...

"I can't lie to you anymore; I never liked your cooking," he whispered.

_WHAT? !_

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><p><strong>** A scene above was from an episode of "Mind Your Language" – a British comedy that was shown on TV during the late 1970s. I watched the reruns in the 80s as a very very young kid.<strong>

**Reminder to everyone: From July 13th****to 20th, please vote for your favourite story nominated for the Energize WIP Awards! It doesn't have to be mine! Visit **energizewipawards . blogspot 2011/09/nominees . html **(remove the spaces)**

**Elena and the baby are fine for now, but you heard what the doctor said; complications may occur later on, so get REVIEWING for them to stay safe. Expect more angst to come in the coming chapters. **

**READ & R-E-V-I-E-W!**


	32. Chapter 32

**A big fat THANK YOU to those who voted for me for the Energize W.I.P. Awards and also those who reviewed the previous chapter. For some reason, there were so many anonymous reviews and I have no idea how to personally thank you guys since I can't send you personal PMs...or maybe that's the point? You guys don't want to receive my PMs? *sniff sniff* I thought we were friends? *sobs* **

**Congrats to the winners of the Energize WIP award, well deserved! I was in 4th place, only 4 voters behind the third place, but I honestly think there are better writers and stories out there, though I have not read all the nominated ones. This is only the second story I've ever written! I'm not ready for awards and stuff! But I'm thrilled to be nominated just the same! SO HAPPY! **

**Anyway, I am loving your support to this story and I hope you'll keep the comments coming since I'm such a review-whore! There, I said it! You heard me!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 32: The Upside<strong>

"Ahem," the sound came from a masculine throat-clearer from somewhere nearby.

Irritated by the unwelcomed disturbance, Damon buried his head deeper into the soft and warm body next to him, his arm wrapped even tighter around a rounded belly.

"Ahem, Ahem!" the persistent sound was louder this time.

"Goanbolyered," Damon mumbled sleepily, his half-asleep state of mind vaguely registered the fact that there was a man in the bedroom with him and his wife. At least, he _hoped_ that the person he was spooning with was his wife, and not Mr. Alaric Saltzman with a belly full of beer.

"I didn't quite catch that. Did he just say 'Go and boil your head' to me?" the masculine voice asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, I think that's _exactly_ what he said! I can't believe the nurses haven't kicked him out of the bed yet. I'm just relieved that they both still have clothes on," _this_ time, there was no mistaking it; the female voice belonged to the one and only Caroline Forbes. Damon frowned as he wondered why there were now _two_ people in his bedroom. Apparently, privacy was very much overrated to his group of friends.

"Knowing Damon – and unfortunately, I _do_ - having clothes on won't stop him from trying to have sex, not even on a hospital bed and certainly not after Elena's bad fall. I wonder if he knows that he's drooling a little?" Ric said a little too loudly for Damon's liking. He could tell the difference between his best friend's voice and the persistent throat-clearer's, and they belonged to two different men.

Belatedly, his mind processed what Ric said about a hospital bed and Elena's bad fall, and then he suddenly lurched upright in a panic, looking down on Elena who started stirring from his sudden movement.

"Oh God, Elena, did I hurt you?" his eyes were wide with fear as he perused over her body to see if he'd accidently worsen her bruises when he cuddled up next to her.

"Other than waking me up and hurting my feelings, no, you didn't hurt me," Elena yawned in exhaustion and then was startled when she noticed Ric, Elijah, Caroline and Jenna standing at the foot of the hospital bed. "Hey guys, what's up?" she asked as Damon hastily climbed off the bed to stand next to her.

"Damon, what did you do _now_? How the hell did you manage to hurt Elena's feelings when we just left you four hours ago?" Caroline demanded to know, frowning at her childhood friend who was now more of a brother to her. "Was it sex? Elena, did he want sex with you right after you took a tumble down a flight of stairs and almost died? Damon, how _could_ you? Can't you think about anything other than your little pee-pee?" she crossed her arms as she glowered at him.

"Wha-? That's _so_ not what happened! I just told Elena the truth about her cooking, that's all," Damon uttered defensively, his feelings hurt at having his manhood referred to as a 'little pee-pee'.

"Oh, so you told her about the God-awful coffee on poker night?" Caroline asked with relief. She hated any kind of pretence whatsoever, and pretending to have quit drinking coffee just to spare her friend's feelings was the lowest of low, in her opinion.

"What?" Elena whipped her head to glare accusingly at Damon, just in time to catch his vigorous shake of his head and mouthing 'No' to warn the blonde but it was too late; the cat was out of the bag and heads were gonna roll. "You _lied_ to me? You said it tasted good! In fact, you _all_ finished it in record time! Were you guys just pretending to like it just to spare my feelings?"

There was an awkward pause moment when everyone eyed one another in silence.

"Woah, it's getting a little tense in here. I'm sensing an underpants pillow fight coming on," Ric muttered suddenly, trying to diffuse the awkward moment.

"Give her the bear, give her the damn bear _now_!" Elijah muttered under his breath urgently as he sensed a potentially catastrophic outburst from the young brunette.

"Hey, Elena! Guess who's here? Taa-daa!" Caroline announced as jovially as she could muster, while she reached into a paper bag to present Elena's favourite toy to her as a peace-offering.

"Mr. Cuddles!" Elena let out a small squeal as she snatched her bear from Caroline's hands, and proceeded to hug the soft toy, burying her nose in its soft rump. "You know what? It doesn't matter because this just proves that you guys love me enough to suffer through eating awful food for me. Aww, I love you guys!" Elena announced before opening her arms wide to receive hugs from Caroline and Jenna, but when Damon moved in with a relieved smile, she scowled at him. "Except for _you_, Mr. Liar-liar-pants-on-fire! What happened to 'telling the truth from now on' or 'we have to be honest with each other'?" Damon could have sworn that both his wife _and_ the bear glared at him in the same exact expression. It also didn't help that Elijah mouthed the words, "I told you so" with a smug smile on his handsome face.

"But-but you _just_ said it doesn't matter because it proved how much we loved-" Damon stammered nervously at the thought of Elena being genuinely mad at him. He thought they'd moved passed the whole 'lying to protect her feelings' conversation early that morning when he made the unwise decision to admit that he never liked her cooking because he didn't want to lie to her anymore. His instincts were right the first time; if the truth serves no other purpose than to cause pain, then he should have shut the hell up. Now, he had to deal with the consequences of opening his big fat mouth with a can of worms along with it!

"Yeah yeah, that's true with _these_ guys because they're my friends. But _you_, you're my husband and if I can't count on you to be truthful even though it may be hard to hear, then what the hell are we doing here? I'd respect you much more for having the guts to tell it to my face instead of inwardly cringing everything you had to eat or drink something I made! So I make lousy coffee; I'm not perfect! I'm nineteen years old and my stomach's as big as a football, I _think_ I can be excused for not being a good cook!" Elena ranted loudly.

"Why is my patient so cranky this morning?" a new voice came from the entrance of the room, and all heads turned towards the young handsome doctor who just arrived in their midst.

"Dr. Michaels! Hey! How are you?" Elena smiled sweetly at the sight of her obstetrician, calming herself down significantly. Damon turned to her with a slight frown, disturbed by her extreme change in demeanour; one moment she was yelling at him, and the next, she was being so sweet and nice to Dr. Hotness. Her mood swings were giving him a whiplash!

"I'm fine, considering what a scare you gave me last night! Poor Damon was so worried out of his mind that he couldn't even fill in your medical details at the reception last night. He was as white as a sheet when I saw him that I almost suggested that the hospital admitted him for observation. You really threw us in a loop, young lady! What happened, did you think it was a good idea to attempt to _fly_ down the stairs instead of walking?" Kol asked with a lazy smile, making Caroline and Jenna melt a little at his charms. Even Elijah was staring at him with unblinking eyes.

"No, I just wanted to prove something that I read on the Internet once; apparently there are upsides to falling down stairs!" Elena shrugged casually as she returned his smile, unaware of her husband throwing daggers at her and the doctor through his eyes.

"There are? Please, _do_ share!" Kol's eyes widened with disbelief. He was happy that she was relaxed enough to joke around with him. Based on what the nurses had informed him on her progress, she was still spotting a little blood and being worked up like she was when he first walked in was not good for her health or the baby's.

"Well, other than the obvious benefit of gaining attention from everyone around you, you can actually lose weight when you take a harmless tumble down a flight of stairs. You basically burn up to five times as many calories than regular walking, and the muscles tend to tighten and flex, especially in anticipation of the searing pain about to occur. And, if you happen to bounce off a wall and take out a length of the banister with you, well, then the calories get burned up to ten times more!" Elena explained with a serious expression even though her friends and aunt were chuckling out loud at her explanation.

"Needless to say, when you fall instead of walk, you generally move at a higher rate of speed, so you cover _more_ ground in _less_ time, and that makes you efficient! Employers like to hire efficient people and it doesn't hurt if you happen to casually mention it in an interview about your stairs-falling skills, therefore showing how conscientious and focused on the bottom line than the average Joes," she continued, now struggling to keep a straight face as laughter erupted all around her. "Finally, you know health insurance don't cover dentistry, right? Well, if you 'accidently' roll down a flight of stairs and knock all your teeth off, you'll have a brand new set of chompers in no time and they'll be covered in the insurance! See, you can get the whitest and straightest set of teeth at no cost other than a teeny tiny bump on the head! How cool is that?"

"That's genius! I never thought of it that way before!" Kol gasped breathlessly when he was done chuckling at her quips.

"Well, why don't we _all_ do that from now on; hurl ourselves end-over-end down some stairs and pray and hope that we'd get our teeth completely knocked out for a new set of free pearly whites? Sure, we might break our necks or smear the walls with our brain matters but what the hell; we'll all have perfect teeth!" Damon said sarcastically, feeling insulted for being treated unfairly by Elena who was being so utterly charming and funny now when she practically yelled at him a moment ago. That was so Jekyll and Hyde of her!

"Don't be such a party-pooper, Damon! We're all just having a laugh after an intense night and I'm sure Elena wouldn't want to be stressed out or get her emotions heightened. Don't you remember what the good doctor said last night about _that_?" Ric looked at Damon with a pointed look, reminding him of the warning issued by the ER doctor. Understanding dawned on Damon, and he nodded stiffly with a sigh.

"Umm, speaking about stress, Damon, there's a Detective Fielding waiting outside to take a statement from the both of you about what happened last night. That's why we came in here, to warn you. Damon, you should probably go outside and speak to him first, and then when Elena feels better, he can speak to her then," Elijah said softly but his expression was one that expressed the urgency of the matter. Damon and Elena were the only two witnesses to Katherine's role in pushing Elena down the stairs the previous night and the Detective couldn't hold her for long without a formal charge.

"Well, I'm not going outside so he's going to have to wait until Elena feels well enough to speak to him. I promised myself that I wouldn't leave Elena's side, not for a second, so you're going to have to send him away, Elijah," Damon said, intending to keep his promise this time.

"Wait a minute, I feel fine, so why can't we talk to the Detective now and get it over with?" Elena spoke up, assuming that they were about to give a statement for the case about Damon's company.

"No, Elena, you just came out of a bad fall and you have bruises all over your body. Besides, you're not supposed to be stressed out at all. The police can wait until you feel better and not a moment before that," he replied firmly with a shake of his head at Elijah.

"Dr. Michaels, what do you think? Do _you_ think I'm well enough to give a statement? Apart from the dull throbbing on my head and my ankle, I feel perfectly okay. The pain medication must be working and I'm awake and alert enough, so I think I'll be able to do it," she turned to the doctor stubbornly, eager to go over everything with the police so that she can move on from the case.

"Hmm, I'll need to do some check-ups on you now in order to confirm your state of health, so why don't your friends wait outside while I find out if you're well enough? We'll just be a minute and then I'll tell the detective whether he should wait a few more days to get your statement, okay?" Kol asked, flashing a quick look at Elijah who nodded and ushered the rest out of the room to give them some privacy.

"Look, you don't have to be in here with me. I'll be fine here with Dr. Michaels. Why don't you take a break and take a shower or grab some breakfast or something?" Elena suggested, worried about Damon's dark circles under his eyes.

"Not a chance in hell, babe! I'm staying put right here beside you until you're either discharged or I have to poop, but other than that, you're stuck with me," Damon shook his head and reached out to hold her hand in a comforting grip as Kol started his check-up on her.

"Hmm, let's hope that I'll discharged soon then, because God forbid if you should feel the need to pee," she rolled her eyes and then bent forward slightly so that Kol could untie the fastening at the back of her hospital gown to check on her bruises on her shoulders and back to check if the bandages needed to be changed while Damon watched closely.

Eager to get back into Elena's good graces for his part in making her angry with him earlier, he grasped for an opportunity to pay her a compliment. Seeing the opening at the back of her gown, he noted something he hasn't observed before. "Wow, you've got a nice spine! I've never noticed that about you before," he said with a genuine smile.

"What? I'm sure it's a pretty average looking spine, Damon!" she seemed puzzled at the odd compliment.

"No, no, you're selling yourself short. Look at that puppy right there! You must have an excellent set of skeleton under that skin of yours," he raved enthusiastically, failing to notice Kol's bewildered expression as he was checking on her injuries. One doesn't go around complimenting another's skeleton! There's just something very creepy and disturbed about that!

"Excellent skeleton? _Really_? Sometimes, you say the most romantic things, things that make a girl weak in the knees for holding back her laughter, I'll tell you that!" Elena let out an involuntary giggle just as Kol was finishing up.

"What can I say? I'm nothing if not creative and romantic! So, what's the verdict, Doc? My wife gonna be okay?" Damon asked nervously.

"Well, other than being appropriately affronted by your 'compliment' about her spine, she has no signs of any lingering effects of concussion from last night, but I'll get the ER doctor to come for a round of thorough check-ups on your head injury. The bruises on the back and shoulders look like they'll heal in time, as will your ankle, I'm sure. The bad news is that she's still bleeding slightly, although not worse than last night, but it's not lessening either, so I'm a bit worried about that. Hopefully, with more rest and less physical activities, the bleeding will stop completely in a few days. But it's probably best, Elena, if you'll try to keep your emotions in check and not get too worked up about anything in the meantime. This is very important for the baby, so please be _very_ careful, deal?" Kol smiled in a relaxed way, putting the couple at ease instantly. _Damn that hottie with the perfect teeth_, Damon thought. It was so hard to dislike a person who was all smiley and nice. That bastard!

"So, no cartwheels and tantrums?" Elena grinned and then Kol shook his head and patted her hand before he mentioned something about talking to the detective outside.

"Are you sure you want to do this now? The detective can wait, you know? He'll understand if you need some time, what with this new weird sense of humour and cracked skull and all!" Damon pulled her close for a hug, his hand smoothing over her hair on the uninjured side of her head while trying to wrap her up in his arms as a safe cocoon where no one could ever hurt her again.

"I'm fine, over-protective husband of mine! I would like to get it over with so that we can move on with our lives without this constant worry over our heads, okay?" she said as he head rested on his broad shoulder, sighing with content that everything was almost over, finally.

Three successive knocks sounded on the door and then a man in a suit peeped through the opened door and entered hesitantly. He was tall and tanned with broad shoulders and spiky hair. He reminded Elena of a hired hitman but with a pair of kind eyes if one can look pass his imposing-looking physique. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore. I'm Detective Fielding and I'm in-charge of this case. There was a report made last night against Ms. Katherine Pierce, so I would like to take a statement from you both on what exactly happened last night. I understand from your doctor, Mrs. Salvatore, that you suffered from a bad fall down the stairs and that due to your injuries, you shouldn't be stressed out. I'm really sorry to intrude on your healing process, but I really do need your version of events of what happened last night." He seemed genuinely reluctant to do his job then as his eyes took in the bandages on her head, shoulders, arms and ankle. _Jesus Christ, she was practically still a child_, he thought as he took in her small frame and young-looking face. _And pregnant to boot_.

"Please, call me Elena and it's alright. It doesn't hurt as bad anymore so I'm sure I can do this. I assume you're here to talk about the case? I think Damon can tell you more about it since he hired private investigators and they managed to get some evidence against Katherine and Mason Lockwood," she turned to look at the silent man beside her, missing the confused look on the detective's face completely.

"Elena, Detective Fielding is not here about that. Elijah called the cops on Katherine last night, and he's here to get our statement on what happened when she pushed you down the stairs. We have to officially charge her with assault and battery or attempted murder," Damon explained with an uneasy feeling. He really didn't want to dredge up her memories of such a terrible experience that occurred less than 24 hours ago.

"Yes, we picked her up last night and she's not allowed bail until we have your statements," Detective Fielding explained with a nod, his hand reaching into his jacket pocket to remove a notepad and a pen, ready for their account of the previous night.

"Okay then, come back next week when Elena's feeling better, please," Damon retorted with a bitter look, torn between seeing Katherine being behind bars with his own eyes and staying put by his wife's side.

"Well, we can only hold her for 48 hours unless we can officially charge her with something, otherwise, we'd have to let her go," the detective said.

"But-but she _didn't_ push me down the stairs!" Elena exclaimed with her eyes wide on Damon.

"She did, babe. I _saw_ her. I watched her put her hands on your shoulder and shoved you, and then you...fell. I can't say whether it was deliberate or not, but she certainly _did_ push you," he insisted firmly.

"No, Damon, she didn't. She pushed me to the _side_, like I was in her way, and I fell because I lost my balance after I stupidly twisted my ankle. She didn't push me down. Look, I'm all for putting Katherine behind bars but only for something she _did_ do, not for me ending up in the hospital. Unfortunately, that's all me," she explained.

"But it's Katherine! She made our lives miserable! I was there when she yelled at you and blamed you for not getting her way. She had motive, she was angry and she pushed you, Elena. Why are you still protecting her? She deserved to be punished for all her crimes after everything she put us through," Damon shook his head with disbelief at her version of events. Whether by accident or otherwise, the bottom-line was that Elena got pushed down the stairs and someone had to pay for it; and that someone was Katherine. He could have lost his wife and his daughter; _of course_ Katherine had to pay for it.

"Yes, she made our lives miserable and she _definitely_ deserves to be punished for the crimes she _did_ commit, like being a spy and helping Mason Lockwood with the projects he stole from you, but not for attempted murder or assault or whatever it is you're pinning her with. It was an accident and that's all it was. Don't look at me like I have brain damage, Damon, because I know _exactly_ what I'm talking about! As much as I would like to see her rot in prison, I certainly won't commit perjury in court, so don't make a mountain out of a molehill," she rolled her eyes at him when he continued to stare at her like she was out of her mind.

"_I'm_ not making a mountain out of a molehill; _Katherine_ made a mountain out of _your_ head! Maybe I should bring you a mirror so that you can see that mountain sticking out from the side of your head as a result of you being pushed down a flight of stairs by her! I can't believe what I'm hearing! You could've died, Elena! Are you seriously letting her get away with this?" he wanted to tear his hair out from the frustration of holding himself back from not yelling at her, even though every single pore in his body is screaming out at her for her stupidity.

"Hold on, did you just say that Mason Lockwood and Ms. Pierce stole projects from your company? Do you have proof of that claim, Mr. Salvatore?" Detective Fielding's ears perked up at this latest development.

"Yes, indeed I do. My investigators can provide you with everything you need and I will give you their contact later. But right _now_, my wife and I need to discuss about this Katherine business-" Damon got interrupted suddenly when Elena suddenly shoved her teddy bear at his face.

"Detective Fielding, you wanted my statement, right? Well, here's my official statement as to what happened last night; Katherine Pierce showed up unannounced at our house and she was behaving erratically, like she was furious at Damon. She went looking around the house for him and went upstairs just as Damon was coming out of our bedroom, and then she just screamed at him. Damon wanted a moment to talk to her so I went downstairs but I could hear everything they were saying at the landing at the top of the stairs," she paused to gaze guiltily at Damon before she went on. "I heard Damon confronting her about her part in acting as a mole for Lockwood and then she started to come on to him and begged for him to take her back and not to send her to prison. My husband wasn't falling for it at all and that's when I went up the stairs to kick her out. I was just starting to make my way down the steps when she shoved me aside, but then I twisted my ankle and lost my balance and the next thing I knew, I was in the car with Damon and then I was in the hospital. All I could remember was that everything was hazy and dark and there was a lot of pain, but the only thought in my mind was about the baby. That's all that happened; no attempted murders, just one clumsy pregnant woman," she shrugged as if it was just a minor detail.

"That wasn't-" Damon started to object when Elena interrupted him again.

"I have a headache, Damon, can you please get the nurse to increase my pain medication dosage please?" she asked with a wince, effectively shutting him up as he watched her frown and then he hastily leaned in to kiss her forehead and hurried out of the room to alert the nurse station. Knowing she had a limited amount of time to get the message across to the detective before Damon returned, she waved him over and whispered, "Damon is just being an over-protective husband, but what I told you was the absolute truth. It happened _exactly_ like what I described, so please don't let Damon convince you otherwise. He may think he's doing it for my protection and he may really believe that Katherine really wanted to hurt me, but that's just not true. Just focus on the corporate espionage case and get both Katherine and Lockwood behind bars for the things that they _did_ do. There may even be a third person involved from Damon's own company, so we need Katherine to give us the full story and rat this mystery person out. If she thinks she may walk away with a little fine and a slap on the wrist, she may be more willing to talk to protect her own interest. That won't happen if she's also charged with attempted murder or assault, right?"

Detective Fielding looked at her with renewed interest at that point, maybe even impressed. "I must say, Mrs. Salva – Elena," he hastily corrected himself when she shook her head, "I thought you were just a young lady who married early and got swept up with keeping up with the world of the Salvatore-Pierces, but I'm glad to know that I've pre-judged you. You're a very astute woman and it's my pleasure to have met you," his eyes were amused as he regarded her thoughtfully.

"The nurse will be right in, Elena. How are you feeling now? Your head still hurts?" Damon returned promptly to her side before she could respond to the detective's appraisal.

"No, I told you, I'm fine. I'm kinda hungry though. Do you think I can have some of Tony's pasta? I'm craving for Italian food now for some reason...and ooooh, pickles! Can I have some pickles?" Elena asked excitedly as her stomach growled loudly, her entire demeanour brightened up at the thought of food.

Damon stared at her in confusion for a moment, just standing there and blinking at her sudden shift in mood and asking for – of all thing – pickles. "I thought you hated pickles?"

"I do, but our daughter obviously has different tastes than I, so will you please get some pickles for our daughter, Mr. I-Remember-Everything-That-My-Wife-Said-A-Million-Years-Ago?" Elena said with a roll of her eyes, sighing wearily as if Damon was being difficult.

"That's a brilliant idea, Elena. Maybe Mr. Salvatore can fill me in on the corporate spy case while I drive him around to pick up some pasta and pickles for you?" Detective Fielding suggested, hoping to gain more insight into a case where he can finally have a chance to go against the Lockwoods. The police force has been waiting for an opportunity like this for ages!

"But I can't leave Elena here alone, I mean I promised her I won't leave her side, not until I know that she'll be perfectly fine," Damon objected with another concerned gaze on her.

"Damon, you _need_ to do this. For the last time, I am fine and I am in a hospital. Jenna and Care will be with me while you go take care of your business. This is the time to put everything we worked for to rest. So, you go on and deal with it, go home, take a shower, shave and change, then come back here and have Tony's delicious pasta with me. Jenna will call you if I need anything, so just make sure that you have your phone with you. Detective Fielding," she paused to look pointedly at the silent man beside her bed who quickly corrected her to use his first name, "Call me Edward, please."

Elena nodded with a smile, "Edward will give you a lift to Tony's place and then drop you off at home while you share with him everything you know about the case. Then you'll come back to me as soon as you can, right?" she reached out and gave him a comforting smile as she took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly in her grip as though asking him not to worry about her.

"You know I hate it when you flash your big brown eyes at me, right? It's like you have a super-power that disables anyone from disagreeing with you," Damon gave in with a helpless sigh and a lopsided smile.

"I know and that's _exactly_ why I'm doing it to you. I love you," she declared with a cheeky grin, knowing that she'd won.

"I love you more, babe," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her fully on the lips, lingering slightly longer than appropriate in the company of the detective. "Take care of Little Purple and don't move so much, okay?" he warned as he reluctantly pulled away.

"I will. Hurry back," she reminded as she leaned back on the pillows. "It was _very_ nice to meet you, Edward," she grinned.

"Believe me, the honour is all mine," Edward replied, his eyes twinkling with delight at the sight of her beaming smile. Damon frowned a little at his sudden change in demeanour; he no longer looked like the imposing bouncer-type man he was when he first entered. Somehow, while he was at the nurse station, his wife had somehow managed to completely charm the detective and made him into a human version of Mr. Cuddles! Not to mention, they were using each other's first names and all!

"Elena! You're supposed to be sick! Stop making random people fall in love with you! Come on, Detective Cuddles," Damon flashed an annoyed look at the detective then led him out of the room before ensuring that Jenna and Caroline agreed to stay by Elena's side until he returned to glue himself to her.

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><p><strong>So apparently, Katherine's not going down for attempted murder. Yeah, yeah, I can already hear screams of outrage from you lot. As I've replied to some of you, jail is too kind for her. I have other plans for our she-devil, and it's not going to be pretty. Muahahahahahaha.<strong>

**So, Mr. Cuddles is back in this chapter. Some of you might be happy about that!**

**Next chapter will have _some_ drama in it towards the end, and then we'll be heading towards the home-stretch.**

**In case I don't say it enough, I love each and every one of the readers and especially the reviewers. For those that I can't personally thank because some of you don't sign in or type in a name, I appreciate all your comments and support. Keep it coming because your feedback really means the world to me. **

**READ & R-E-V-I-E-W! Thank you!**


	33. Chapter 33

**DISCLAIMER: This author is not responsible for the actions of readers who might decide to try rolling down or up the stairs after reading the last chapter. It takes a professional to do it gracefully and to make it out alive or unharmed. Staircase tumbling requires a certain finesse and rumour has it that there's a course available in Chuckles University. Check that out if you insist to try falling down the stairs. Also, the perfect teeth aftermath is only applicable to those with insurance coverage for it. It does not happen automatically for EVERYONE or for those whose jaws are still left on the staircase landing on the second level. Please be informed. Thank you.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 33: Alone <strong>

It's been a week since Elena was admitted into the hospital and after many, many, many, many questions to the doctor about her condition after day four, Damon finally relented to her pleading brown eyes and took his wife home. Despite his father's insistence for him to be back at work to deal with the company's recent successful tenders, Damon refused to leave his wife's side ever since they returned from the hospital, preferring instead to carry her up and down the stairs as their friends visited and accompanied her over the next three days while he and Elijah cooked up a storm in the kitchen.

It was ironic that none of the women knew their way around the kitchen while a gay man and a whipped husband worked side-by-side to prepare a meal for the group as Damon kept an attentive ear out on the conversation going on in his living room on a Saturday night.

"I'm still in shock over the entire thing! Do you think any of it is true or is it just some kind of conspiracy?" Elena asked as she looked around at the people seated all around her; her aunt Jenna who was leaning on her fiancée Ric on the couch opposite her own, Caroline who was seated on the lap of her steady boyfriend Stefan, and Bonnie who was sitting right beside her.

"I think it's completely true, I mean they have pictures and everything. Don't you think they're afraid to get sued if they made this up?" Stefan voiced out then, his arms around Caroline's waist.

"Pictures don't mean anything; it could be the angle the shot was taken, or someone's photoshopping skills. Anyway, I refuse to believe any of it until I see some solid evidence or until they admitted it out loud. None of these press release statement crap. I just don't get why she'd do that to him. I mean, he's perfect!" Ric exclaimed, earning him an evil glare from his fiancée.

"There! _That_ right there, is the reason why some people might think you're gay! You give off some kind of gay vibe when you speak about another dude in that reverent tone of voice. You guys know what I'm talking about, right?" Jenna glanced around the room as the rest nodded and murmured in agreement. "See?"

"What? But you think he's hot! You said so yourself when you forced me to put on some glitter that night when we tried to re-enact that love scene from Breaking Dawn Part One! You said that Edward was the best looking vampire ever!" Ric yelled out defensively, oblivious of the snickering and muffled giggles erupting around him.

"Edward, the Detective in charge of our case?" Damon enquired when he suddenly joined the discussion as he strolled in from the kitchen with a tray full of steaming plates of lasagne for Elena, and the other girls. He was soon followed by Elijah with an equally full tray for the guys.

"Mmm, smells heavenly! Thanks for cooking, Elijah!" Elena helped herself to a plate, her mouth watering at the sight of the yummy cheesy goodness with extra herbs.

"Hey, I helped too, you know! In fact, I did most of the cooking. Ask Eli over there," Damon gestured with his thumb over at the newest member of their gang as he settled in between Bonnie and his wife, lifting her legs so that he could sit in the middle and then he rested her ankles – one of them still swollen – on his lap.

"It's true, he did. All I did was pre-heat the oven and chopped some ingredients. Your husband is a natural chef; must be his Italian heritage. It tastes divine, by the way," Elijah complimented after taking a mouthful into his mouth.

"Thank you, Eli! See, what did I tell ya? I'm a man of many talents, I mean, you've barely scratched the surface with me, Elena. Wait till our sixth month anniversary; I'll show you what I can do with my nimble fingers and some massage oil. Ooh boy," Damon's brows wiggled cheekily as he gazed down at his wife who had her head propped up on a pillow on top of the couch's armrest.

"_Show her_ as in from across the room while you go to town on yourself, or show her as in _her_ body part is involved in some way?" Caroline giggled and then squealed when Damon threw a throw pillow in her direction. "What? You have to spell these things out for us...we don't know the details of your freaky-deaky sex life!"

"We'll send you our sex tape," Damon remarked sarcastically, earning him an eye-roll from the blonde.

"I _really_ love it when we have these bonding sessions; I feel like I know you guys a little too well now. So Ric, who were you talking about?" Elijah interjected smoothly, reluctant to hear more about the sex life of his friends. Obviously, these people have never heard of the term 'Too Much Info'.

"Oh, we're talking about the latest scandal between RPattz and KStew," Ric answered casually, as if it was a typical topic frequently discussed by the group.

"Who are those people and why is one of them named after food?" Damon's eyes were narrowed in confusion as he tried to recall anyone he knew with those names.

"My God! You haven't heard of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart? They're only like the most famous vampires, ever!" Caroline gasped in shock, her eyes a pair of wide rounded orbs.

"Vampires? Like _real_ vampires? Do they actually exist? Have you met them?" Damon asked, his expression sceptical.

"No, _of course_ they're not real, duh! They play vampires in the Twilight films; it's all make-believe, acting, pretend. You can't actually _meet_ a vampire because they don't exist," the blonde rolled her eyes again at his naiveté.

"Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character but I've met him at Disneyland! _Several_ Disneylands, in fact. So, what's the big scandal about?" Damon asked, opening his mouth wide as Elena fed him some lasagne.

"She _allegedly_ cheated on him with some director; he's married with two kids. Apparently some magazine has some pretty damaging pictures that proved the affair and now the Twi-hards are upset with her. You know, there've been so many of these celebrity break-ups going on; TomKat, Demi and Ashton, Katy and Russell, Heidi and Seal. What is the world coming to?" Ric shook his head with disappointment across his features.

"I can see your lips moving, but I didn't understand a word you said," Damon replied. "What the hell is a Twi-hard? Is that a teenage slang for being twice as hard? And since when are you a celebrity gossip cop?"

"Well, I _am_ the head researcher of a company and it is important to keep abreast of the latest news," the sandy-haired man replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, my father pays you to surf the internet for celebrity hook-ups and breakups and porn; no _wonder_ we've been losing all those contracts to the Lockwoods," Damon scoffed in disbelief.

"Well, I-that is-I-," Ric stammered nervously, knowing that Damon had a point but it was so incredibly boring being stuck in his office all day! Researchers don't get to do cool stuff like meeting clients, investigate corporate espionages, or put on a fedora and a leather jacket swinging a leather bullwhip over a snake pit á la Indiana Jones! "You're one to talk; I didn't just spend a week off from work to play nurse at home with your wife. Your father's been looking for you, by the way. And by looking, I meant yelling at everyone in the building-especially your secretary- to find you and drag you back to the office by the hairs in your nose if need be."

"Pleasant man, your father," Jenna quipped with a grin. Really, between Giuseppe Salvatore and John Gilbert, it was a wonder how their children grew up normal!

"Yeah, that's our daddy-o, alright. You know, I really wonder how our mother managed to stay married to him after all these years. That man doesn't own a single loving bone in his body and he's not even easy on the eyes. I wonder how he managed to land such a splendid woman like Mother," Stefan marvelled out loud to the group.

"Maybe he's a stallion in bed?" Damon ventured a guess, and then his friends groaned out in disgust. "What? The guy has got to have _something_ going for him other than being an ass – looks-wise _and_ personality-wise! I know for a fact that Mother has slept with the man at _least_ twice, and she usually has excellent taste, so if it's not the looks or the romance, then it must be his sexual prowess. Stef and I look and act nothing like him, so we Salvatore boys must have inherited _something_ from him, and the only thing that comes to mind is our gigantic schlong. Am I right, Steffy?" he looked over to his brother with a smug look on his face. Simultaneously, four sets of forks clattered onto their respective plates while Elena and Caroline blushed to the roots of their hair.

"Aaannnnd now I've lost my appetite," Ric groaned as he pushed his plate of half-eaten lasagne away from him.

"Therapy, I'm gonna need therapy after this conversation," Elijah muttered as he set his own plate down.

"I'm not comfortable with the direction this topic is going; it's _true_, but I'm still not comfortable talking about it," Stefan grinned back at his brother. Trust Damon to always ruin the mood of a perfectly innocent conversation amongst friends. For a long while, there was only silence as they gazed uncomfortably at each other, unable to help themselves from imagining Giuseppe's big bulge.

Eager for a change in topic, Elena struggled to rack her brain for an innocent enough subject. "So, my spotting has improved!" she burst out awkwardly. Immediately, a chorus of approvals and relieved smiles broke over the group.

"That's great news! What did Dr. Hotness say about it?" Bonnie asked as she peered over Damon's shoulders from his other side.

"Well, he said that it was a good sign of progress and that I should keep resting and take it easy for a couple more weeks until the blood eventually stops flowing. But it's definitely an improvement, thanks to Mr. Nurse here who refused to let me do anything by myself," Elena flashed a grateful smile at her husband who was gazing at her lovingly. During their latest check-up with Dr. Michaels, both husband and wife were indeed relieved to hear the news that the baby was going to be perfectly fine and safe as long as Elena doesn't decide to do anymore acrobatic movements around the house or get upset in any way. So, Damon's week of gluing himself to her side and being the doting and attentive husband was indeed worth it.

"I'm really happy to hear that, 'Lena. Now, can we talk about the elephant in the room?" Jenna asked, her expression serious.

"Hmm, I thought we _were_ talking about the elephant in the room," Damon chuckled as he looked pointedly at his wife, his eyes drifting to her belly for a second and then back up to her face, leaving no doubt as to who he's referring to as the elephant.

"You ass!" Elena slapped his shoulder playfully and then gasped. "That's it! That's what you inherited from your father; being a big gigantic ass! I hope that annoying family trait ends with you though," she looked worried as she cradled her stomach possessively and ran her hands over the roundness of her belly. Damon was about to launch into an indignant self-righteous defence but Jenna hurriedly intervened.

"Actually, I meant the bitch who may or may not have pushed my niece down the stairs," she clarified. "Last I heard, she was released from all charges of assault or attempted murder, but what about her role in the case?"

"Well, I've released all the information my investigators have gathered against her and Lockwood, and Detective Fielding has made sure that neither of them can leave the country while the investigation is going on. He's assured me that they are both being followed - discreetly, of course - and they _will_ be charged for fraud amongst other things. Now it's just a matter of getting Katherine to disclose the name of the other person involved. We still have no concrete evidence against the third or even know if there were more people involved," Damon flashed a fleeting look at a thoughtful Elijah who kept silent throughout his explanation but he knew that the reporter was worried about his brother Nicholas.

"So Katherine is just wandering around freely? She could be dangerous! She could come back and finish the job with Elena!" Bonnie gasped, her eyes wide with fear for her best friend's safety.

"No, she won't, Bon! Stop freaking Damon out, he's already worried enough as it is. From what Damon told me, she seemed genuinely horrified with what happened on barbecue night. It was an accident and she may be a lot of things, but she's not a murderer. I refuse to believe that both Elijah and Damon had such lousy taste in women that they'd fall in love with a person capable of killing another person. Now, I didn't say that she wasn't a good 'ole fashioned bitch of an heiress, though. I'll be fine," Elena reassured her concerned husband whose gaze narrowed on her and gripped her fingers tighter.

"I _didn't_ fall in love with her, though," Damon corrected, a look of disgust apparent on his face.

"No, but you _did_ fuck her repeatedly, and I quote; 'on the couch, against the wall, in the shower and sometimes, you couldn't even wait long enough to get home'," Elena quoted in a voice full of malice on what she overheard that night as she hid under the stairs, cringing with jealousy as she listened to the bitch hitting on her husband. It was a wonder she waited that long after hearing how great the sex was between them.

"I'm sorry, truly I am! If I could take it all back, I would. If I'd known that I'd meet you, I wouldn't have made the choices I made then. Hell, I could've stayed a virgin until that night I took you back to Ric's apartment," Damon's eyes were pleading for her to understand how much he hated himself for ever being with Katherine and all those other women she constantly felt like she couldn't measure up to, experience-wise. He knew it wasn't easy for her to hear how hot the sex was with his ex, and he wished that the only good thing to come out of her head injury was to have that whole conversation knocked right out of her memory, but alas, it was not to be!

What he didn't count on was the group's sudden eruption into choked laughter and loud guffaws at his pleading words. "Oh my God! That was the funniest thing ever! You, a virgin?" Caroline roared with laughter at that insane thought.

"I didn't think you were even _born_ a virgin! I'd have to ask Mother," Stefan snickered as he shook his head.

"If you had stayed a virgin, I would imagine your high school and college years would have been a drag. I mean, come on; imagine _me_ having more sex than _you_?" Ric joined in, unable to control his laughter.

"Shut up, you guys! Oh Ric, the first time Elena and I had sex was on _your_ couch, and after that, I lent her _your_ boxers to wear. I don't recall if I ever washed it, but you _do_ realize that I wasn't wearing a condom, right?" Damon announced with a teasing grin as his best friend visibly paled. "Hence, my daughter!" he gestured his hands over his wife's belly like a magician would after a trick. "Oh and remember this, buddy; what goes in, _must_ come out!"

"Ewwww," Ric finally managed to exclaim as his face screwed up at the visual provided by Damon's words.

"Now, _that _was officially the grossest thing I've ever heard in my life! I'm honestly having second thoughts to continue hanging with you lot," Elijah said in an uncertain voice.

"Oh come off it, you know you've grown to love us! We are very different than other people you've ever met in your life and you know it," Damon winked cheekily at him.

"Yeah, _they're_ normal," Elijah agreed.

"Oh yeah, speaking of the scene of our sex crime, I forgot to tell you that I've put my apartment up for sale," Damon announced suddenly, turning towards his wife as he shared the news. He decided that it was time to stop with the whole charade of intending to be with Kat for the sake of his father. The case was finally over and Katherine was going to be busy in an orange jumpsuit, so he had decided to rid himself of anything that would remind Elena of his past with his ex.

"What? Really?" Elena asked as her face brightened up considerably with that piece of news. The apartment he kept for Katherine to stay in had always been bothering her at the back of her mind. She didn't want to question him when they've made so much progress in their relationship ever since her birthday, but she didn't get why he wouldn't just kick the bitch out. She also didn't want him to do it just because she wanted him to, and now that he made the decision all by himself, she felt relieved beyond words!

"Yeah, really. I didn't really wanna rock the boat with her and my father before, but now that we've settled the case and I don't really give a crap what my father says about anything anymore, I figured it would be the best time to sell the place and invest the money or something. Besides, not kicking Kat out was the best decision ever made, as we managed to get the evidences on her and Lockwood after bugging the place anyway, so it's all a win-win! Turns out, you _don't_ need a warrant to plant eavesdropping devices on your own property!" he explained with a triumphant grin.

"Yes, everything happened for a reason and I'm glad that everything's over and done with. Now, I can just go back to being a pregnant and bored housewife and _you_ can go back to being the busy entrepreneur. Hell, even the pair of boxers I wore all those months ago managed to come back today to haunt Ric for the rest of his life! I'm officially happy," Elena smiled as she gave a reassuring squeeze of his hand. Glad that everything turned out exactly the way she once imagined it to be, she sighed deeply and then let out a huge yawn that signalled how tired she really was, after a long weak of emotional stress over the wellbeing of her baby girl. She was trying to maintain a strong facade so as not to worry her husband and her friends, but inwardly, she was scared as hell at the thought of anything happening to Little Purple. So, she kept smiling and hoped that no one noticed the way she kept rubbing her belly to feel any sign of movement at all.

"I think it's bedtime for 'yawny' over here," Damon announced as he removed her legs from his lap and stood up. He was about to lean down to scoop the sleepy Elena up in his arms when Stefan's phone rang loudly.

"Uh oh, this is not good. It's Father," Stefan said when he looked at the screen. "Why would he call me?"

"I don't know, genius. Why don't you answer and find out?" Damon retorted, annoyed with the sudden interruption, the incessant ringing keeping his wife awake.

"Uh, hello Father?" Stefan greeted when he finally answered the phone. A pause, and then, "Damon, it's for you," he sighed in relief as he handed the phone to his brother. "Why didn't he call your phone?" he whispered curiously.

Damon shrugged and then reluctantly lifted the phone to his ear. "Father?" It was interesting to note how formal the Salvatore brothers were whenever they spoke to their father, even during a telephone conversation. They automatically stood or sat up straighter, one hand in a pocket as if trying to control nervous hand gestures, and there were also the facial expressions; they both looked serious, on edge, even tense. Their voices didn't hold even a tiny hint of amusement, but more reserved and respectful.

"No, Elena's been in the hospital," his blue eyes flickered over to his wife's face for a moment before he walked away from the group into the kitchen. "Yes, she's out but she shouldn't be left alone, not after –" his forehead creased into a frown as he listened to the authoritative voice on the other end of the line. "I'm aware of that, Father, after all, I was the one who orchestrated the whole thing along with my wife." He sounded frustrated by now. The entire group was now tense as they could hear the one-sided conversation but it didn't sound as if it was good news. "Father, Elena's still bleeding, and it's a really crucial time for her and the baby now. I can't leave her side for a meeting with you," he said, raising his voice a little. "I'll get someone to stay with her and I'll come in to the office on Monday morning," he suggested, hoping for a little more time to figure out how to explain the whole Katherine-Lockwood and possibly Nicholas Mikaelson thing. Obviously, Giuseppe wasn't taking 'no' for an answer because Damon then said as he returned to the living room, "Well, that's too damn bad because I'm not leaving her alone tonight, so I'll see you on Monday," and then he 'respectfully' pressed the red button on the phone and almost threw it back to his brother who barely caught it before it hit the floor.

"Hey! Throw your _own_ phone," Stefan whined as he inspected his phone for any sign of damage.

"I would but I don't know where it is," Damon grumbled as he combed his fingers in his messy hair, a sure sign of being frustrated.

"Oh, it ran out of battery so I charged it upstairs," Elena told him. "Look, why don't you go meet him and get it over with? I'll be fine here, I'll just take a nap and then when I wake up, you'll be back already! I probably won't even know that you were gone."

"No, I don't wanna leave you, not for something that can wait till Monday. It's fine, Elena, I already told him no, and that's the end of it," he insisted.

"I can stay with Elena," Elijah offered softly, "I don't have any plans tonight so I can stay and accompany her."

"You wish, buddy! I like you, you're okay, but I'm not leaving you here alone with my wife, no matter how homosexual you are. Believe me, Elena can overturn your gayness just like that," Damon snapped his fingers. "That's how lovable she is, so thanks but hell no!"

"Stefan and I can cancel our movie tickets and stay here," Caroline offered then.

"I would love to stay, but I have dinner plans with my dad and Grams," Bonnie said guiltily.

"Or_ I_ could stay and Ric could go listen to the wedding band by himself," Jenna suggested with a pointed look at her fiancée who jutted his lower lip in an adorable pout.

"Oh my God, you guys! I don't need a babysitter, okay? I'm an adult and I'm perfectly capable of staying home alone and getting some rest for a couple of hours! Nobody is changing or cancelling their plans just so that they can watch me sleep for two freakin' hours, got it? It's very sweet of you guys to offer but no!" Elena has had enough of everyone treating her like some porcelain doll that might break; after all, she survived a deadly fall down the stairs, didn't she? Really, why was everyone so dramatic all of a sudden?

"Yeah, thanks you guys, but it doesn't matter anyway because I'm not going. So, Jenna, you go on with Ric to listen to the wedding band. Bonnie, say hi to your dad and Grams for us, and Care and Stef, you guys have fun at the movies. Elijah, you go...do whatever it is you do when you're not with us. You go be gay," Damon smirked at the last sentence, reminding everyone that the handsome and charming reporter was in fact gay and had no business offering to accompany his wife alone in a big house full of flat surfaces where they could get their freak on!

"Okay, well call us if you change your mind," Stefan nodded at his older brother as a sign of willingness to skip the lame teenage romantic movie Caroline was dragging him to. He also knew their father well enough not to take no for an answer.

"I won't but you crazy kids go have fun. I'll see you guys tomorrow for more of our bonding sessions. Yes Elijah, even _you_," Damon hastily added when he saw the reporter opening his mouth to say something. "You know you can't live without our lively group banter now, so you might as well accept that fact and share a few of your very own gay anecdotes with us."

Elijah sighed and knew that he was right so he stood up and left after saying his goodbyes, while the girls each hugged Elena on the couch before they all piled out, leaving only Damon and Elena alone in the house.

"Are you still sleepy? Or do you want me to put on a movie so that we can watch it together after I clear the dishes?" he asked as he sank down on the floor beside her head and caressed her cheek softly with his fingers.

"Movie please. It's gotten so quiet all of a sudden," she smiled at him, leaning into his gentle touch.

"Okay, let's watch something non-stressy, like 'Beethoven', the cute and fluffy St. Bernard. Here, you start watching while I go load up the dishwasher, okay? I'll be right back," he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead while she nodded, and then he went to look for the disc and slot it into the player before he collected the plates and made his way into the kitchen.

"Hey, which button should I press to start the –" he returned a short while later, but then stopped short at the sight of the sleeping girl who was still holding onto the remote control but didn't even managed to press the play button. It was obvious how exhausted she was but as usual, she was stubbornly refusing to admit that she needed the rest. Deciding that he would hunt down the operating manual of the dishwasher later, he removed the remote from her loose grip and then gently lifted her up in his arms and then made his way upstairs slowly and carefully, taking one step at a time. He would never take those stairs for granted again.

He entered their bedroom and then lowered her onto the bed, amazed that she managed to remain asleep after all the motions, but she must really have been _that_ tired. He tucked her in and draped the covers over her and then made his way downstairs to figure out the complicated machine.

Fifteen minutes later, he was beyond frustrated and practically cursing at the dishwasher when he heard a car pull up in front of the house. Wondering if it were some of his friends who decided to return to keep him company, he hurried to the front door before they rang the doorbell and woke Elena up. He felt fury wash through him when he saw that it was his father's chauffer getting out of the black limousine and coming towards him.

"What the hell, Geoff! I told my father I'll see him at the office on Monday! What kind of crap is he trying to pull?" Damon exploded before the chauffer could even greet him.

"I'm sorry, Damon, but Mr. Salvatore insisted for your presence at the mansion. He's quite worked up and he specifically instructed me to come and escort you back to the mansion for an urgent meeting. I've never seen him quite so anxious before... I mean, more than the usual for sure," Geoff said apologetically. The older man understood perfectly what kind of man Giuseppe was; he has witnessed his tenacity many many times before.

"Well, that's too bad because I'm not going anywhere tonight. Elena is sleeping upstairs and I'm not leaving her here alone. She fell down the fucking stairs and I almost lost her and the baby, Geoff. Please go home and tell my father that when I said no, I actually _meant_ no," Damon announced, and then stepped back to close the door but Geoff's next words stopped him in mid-action.

"Mr. Salvatore insisted that Ms. Gilbert come with you if need be. I-I'm supposed to bring you both if you were not willing to come alone," Geoff said after a brief moment's hesitation. The money was good, but sometimes, he really hated his job.

"That son of a bitch!" Damon burst out angrily. He thought about slamming the door on the loyal chauffer's face, but it really wasn't Geoff's fault; it was his father and that exasperating man would not relent until he had his way. He knew that even if he refused to go with Geoff now, his father would appear at his doorstep within the next half hour, yelling at him and waking Elena up. Whatever his arguments were with his father, Elena should not be caught in the middle of it, not in her health condition and neither should she be subject to Giuseppe's wrath.

"Fine!" he bit out finally, much to the older man's relief. "I'll see what he wants, but I'll drive my own car. At least I can leave if I wanted to. I need to arrange for someone to watch over Elena while I'm gone, so I'll need some time. You go back and tell him I'm on my way," he started to close the door again, but was stopped yet again.

"Damon, if we don't leave now, I really don't know what your father's going to do. He might decide to come here by himself or call Ms. Gilbert's phone to speak to you. He's got Nathan Pierce breathing down his neck this whole week; they need to know what's going on with Ms. Pierce," Geoff explained patiently.

Damn the Pierces! They never failed to make his life miserable! That's it; he was going to set the record straight once and for all that night and make it clear that he has had enough!

"I'll be down in five minutes! If he can't wait that long, he can go rot in hell," Damon muttered furiously and then he finally managed to close the front door, almost hitting Geoff on the nose.

He searched for the house phone and called Stefan's mobile. After a few long rings, he finally answered in a low voice. Damon muttered and cussed out in explanation of the situation and then thankfully, he agreed to stop by with Caroline as soon as possible. Then, he made his way upstairs again for a change of clothes, and then sneaked inside their bedroom to check on his sleeping wife. He considered waking her up to tell her that he was going to see his father after all, and that Caroline and Stefan will be coming by soon, but she seemed to be in a deep and peaceful sleep that he found himself reluctant to disturb her. He saw her phone charging on the side table and was worried that his father might really call her to speak to him, so he disconnected the charger and took her phone with him instead, since his was goodness knows where. He wrote a short note to explain where he was going and why and also to expect his brother and Care over when she woke up. He really hoped that by the time she woke up, he would have been back already from declaring war on his father. So, it was with a heavy heart that he unwillingly broke his promise that he'd never leave her side and with a soft kiss to her parted lips, he went back downstairs to grab his house and car keys and locked the front door behind him.

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><p>Elena was jostled awake at the sound of the doorbell ringing. Still under the pull of the deep sleep she was under, her eyes drifted close again as it struck her how odd the sound was. For one thing, Damon was home and for another, her friends seldom ring the bell; they just walked right through the front doors as if they owned the place. But it didn't matter because Damon was going to answer it sooner than later.<p>

It rang again. _That's weird_, she thought. Perhaps Damon was taking a shower? She focused her ears to hear the sound of the shower running, but it was quiet around the house. Opening her eyes, she turned to the right, expecting to see a sleeping Damon beside her but that side of the bed was empty. The bell rang again, and this time, she sat up slowly and wondered what's going on. Switching the table lamp on, she finally noticed the piece of note that Damon left for her and then sighed with relief that it was probably Caroline and Stefan at the door. _They must have forgotten their set of keys, _she told herself as she got out of bed.

It felt kind of funny to walk around on her own again when Damon had carried her everywhere for the past week, but at the same time, she felt good that she was at least independent again. She approached the stairs carefully this time, holding onto the railing with both hands as she slowly sidestepped her way down with her uninjured leg first. "Just a minute," she called out as the doorbell rang again. She knew how impatient Caroline was; even her bell-ringing sounded impatient!

As her legs touched the floor of the foyer, she let out a whoop of joy, congratulating herself on a job well done for making her way down the stairs without falling on her face, unlike what her husband and friends thought.

Her confidence boosted, she walked over to the front doors and unlocked them as she boasted, "Guess what, Care! I walked down the stairs all by my-" she stopped, horrified as the door swung open to reveal the last person she expected to see.

"Oh thank God! I thought he'd never leave you alone. I need to speak to you, right now. Can I come in?"

Elena just stared at the familiar face, unable to respond as fear gripped her body, rendering her immobile and speechless.

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><p><strong>So, get this; I don't understand why I have 285 alerts for this story and 219 favs but my average number of reviews for a chapter is 27! My maths might be bad but that's only like half of it! *snicker* So my birthday is coming soon...like in October (that's soon for <em>some<em> people so stop with the eye-rolling!), and my wish is to have 200 reviews a chapter until my e-mail starts to jam up and I get crossed-eyed from reading them non-stop. So, mathematically speaking, with my eyes crossed, I should get 400 reviews per chapter! It's not asking for much, is it? *bats eyelashes***

**Get off your lazy bums and READ & R-E-V-I-E-W! Thank you kindly.**


	34. Chapter 34

**DISCLAIMER: Eating and drinking is allowed on this chapter, unless an urge to kill fictional characters causes you to choke. I'm putting my 'serious' face on. Beware. **

**Ok, I give up. I guess it's a little much expecting for 200 reviews per chapter. My bad. I guess 37 reviews for the previous chapter isn't bad but my highest record so far was 41. **

**So, here's some angst as retaliation *evil grin***

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><p><strong>Chapter 34: Truce or Dare (yeah, I <em>meant<em> to say Truce; it's not a spelling error)**

Mentally cursing herself for getting out of bed and opening the door to the reason why she should have stayed in bed in the first place, Elena couldn't help but to stare wordlessly at the slim brunette standing on her porch.

"Can I come in?"

"I don't mean to be rude, but of course not! I don't think I could survive another encounter with you, Katherine," Elena responded sarcastically. Really, what did the bitch expect; to be invited in for a chit chat over coffee and biscuits? Hmm, if she _made_ the coffee and if it was indeed as bad as what her friends really thought, perhaps she might end up poisoning the bitch instead. Well, it _was_ worth considering, even for just a second!

"Fair enough," Katherine sighed. "Look, I just came to apologize to you for what happened last week."

_What? ! An apology from She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? Was this some kind of trick? _Elena looked around for a hidden camera and half-expected some camera crew to jump out from a corner or a bush to laugh at her.

"No matter what I felt against you, you need to know that I would never intentionally push you or hurt a baby. I knew what it felt like to lose a child and I would never subject anyone to the horror of going through something as painful as that. So, I'm sorry and I'm glad that neither of you were hurt," she went on, her expression surprisingly genuine.

"I _know_ you didn't and that's why I dropped the charges against you. Wait, you said you _knew_ what it felt like to lose a child–did you-were you-was it Damon's?" Elena gasped in shock, her heart racing at the thought of Damon and Katherine actually producing an offspring before she ever met him. Was that why he went back to her after their one-night-stand?

"No, it wasn't Damon's," Katherine shook her head, much to Elena's relief. "I had an abortion years before I met him, only I've never regretted anything more than what I did back then. Later, I was told that I'd never be able to conceive again. Well, that little piece of news wasn't well-received, I'll tell you _that_ much, especially after what I just gave up. My father went ballistic when he found out, but he didn't care about me; he only cared about what the society would think of me if they ever found out that I was a barren rich heiress. It's true, you know, what they say; you never know what you've got until it's gone," she said bitterly, as if she was absolutely disgusted with the very social circle she was brought up in. In that moment, Elena felt pity for the brunette; something she never thought was possible up to that point.

"But why did you abort the baby? You were rich, you could afford to bring up the baby," Elena asked.

Katherine released a humourless laugh as she turned and walked towards the left of the porch and sank down on a swing set with a sigh. "_That_ story requires a drink, but we both know you're not going to offer me one so I'm just going to tell you as a 'thank you' for not pressing charges for the accident."

Hesitantly, Elena approached her and then sat down on the swing next to her mortal enemy, curious to know about her story. Perhaps it would give her some kind of insight as to why she was the way she was.

"I had a relationship with two brothers at once and then I got pregnant. I was scared and confused because I didn't know who the father was, so I went to the clinic to 'take care' of it. Somehow, one of them found out and tried to stop me, so he begged my father to find out where I went. By the time they got there, it was already done. It was too late," her voice broke a little as she remembered the emotions she felt then; how her father was screaming at her for causing shame to his good name, how she was so stupid to be knocked up before she got married in the first place, and the disappointed look her lover gave her when she came out of the clinic.

"My father forbade me to see both of the brothers and paid off the clinic staff and the brother who knew about the baby for his silence and to forget he ever met me. It wasn't difficult to convince him; he hated my guts and refused to have anything to do with me again. I still see him sometimes, in one of father's functions or other but he acted like he's never met me before. I don't blame him. What I did was monstrous and selfish, and I deserved every bit of hatred that came my way," Katherine's voice was devoid of emotions by the end of the story. It was as if she had resigned herself not to be loved as self-punishment for the sinful act of abortion.

For a moment, there was only silence between the two women, each wrapped in their own thoughts about their own past and the choices they made that brought them to the present.

"What about Damon? Did you really love him or was it what your father wanted for you?" Elena finally gathered her courage to ask.

"Hah!" Katherine scoffed. "Love? I suppose I _did_ care for him a little, eventually. My father wanted to marry me off to the most successful man who came from a wealthy family, so that he could finally be rid of the burden who is his daughter. And Damon being a Salvatore was the icing on the cake. It was perfect, a match made in heaven...except he didn't love me. I knew he was only with me because I was my father's daughter and he needed my father's influence to help his family business. But at least he was decent to me, even nice at times and that was more than I deserved. I daresay if he didn't catch me in bed with Mason, we would already have been married by now," her voice took on a dreamy quality as she gazed off into the dark night.

"But of course, he met you and everything changed. I didn't understand how quickly he fell in love with you and the worst of it all was that you were pregnant! How could _you_, a teenager with no social standing, a _nobody_ suddenly have _everything_ that I ever wanted in life? Giuseppe assured me and my father that it was only a marriage of convenience for you two, that you'd give up the baby for money at the end of a year for the sake of appearance, but _I_ knew! I knew that I was losing Damon for good but the pride in me refused to give him up. I thought he'd still come back to me eventually because he needed my father's support but then _he_ started to change. _You_ made him change; he seemed happier, more independent, more rebellious against his own father. He even spends less time in the office, and that's something he _never_ did with me. And then he took you to a honeymoon and that's when I knew for sure that it was all over for me."

"Was that when you decided that you needed a third party to help you secure a majority of the tender contracts?" Elena asked casually, her expression open as she decided it was time to address the most important issue.

Katherine scoffed again as she rolled her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

"Come on, you and I _both_ know that you and Mason Lockwood were involved in the Salvatore's project losses since you started an affair with him over a year ago. What we can't figure out was the why; you are the sole heir to your father's empire so you'll be a multi-millionaire when he's gone. What _more_ could you possibly want?" Elena asked in a voice full of wonderment. It still didn't make a sense to her.

"Yes, when he's _gone_ I will be filthy rich!" Katherine burst out suddenly. "Or at least, whatever's left after he's squandered everything while he's alive, you mean. What do I have _now_, Elena? Look at me," she instructed, forcing the younger brunette's scrutiny on her face and appearance. "Everything you see was provided by my father; everything that I'm wearing, my jewelleries, my clothes, my shoes, right down to my manicure and pedicure..._everything_ was paid by Nathan Pierce. Everyone sees me as Nathan Pierce's daughter and that's all I'll ever be. I don't have a man to love me for who I am and I can't even bear children. I have nothing! I am no one! Even my own father sees me only as his business commodity, to be used as a pawn to merge with another prominent family. So, is it so wrong to want more? To _be_ more?" She fell silent after that with a frown on her forehead as if she was trying to convince herself that she was justified in doing what she did.

"So, you decided to make _your_ own wealth so that you can be independent, is that it? Did you think that people will respect you then?" Elena asked quietly, watching the myriad of emotions crossing Katherine's features. "It's honourable if you want to work your way out of your father's shadow and be your own person, but there's nothing honourable about the _way_ you did it; by lying, cheating, and hurting Damon who has been decent and nice to you by your own admission. So whatever money that you gained at the expense of other people, you didn't earn it; you _stole_ it. And this is why you won't get to keep any of it. Karma is a funny thing, but then so is justice. I suggest you take a long hard look at yourself and reflect on what you've done and try to make it right. Damon and his lawyers have a pretty solid case against you and Lockwood already, so if I were you, I'd spill on the third party involved in this whole thing to score some points. The only thing that Damon cares more than seeing you pay for what you did is to be rid of Lockwood Industries and the other party involved. I could try to talk to him on your behalf, but only if you help to identify the other guy involved. You have nothing left to lose, Katherine," she pled, hoping that her pleas wouldn't fall on deaf ears.

Katherine turned to look at the younger brunette with disbelief in her eyes. "I don't get you. I accidently pushed you and made you fall down the stairs, I ruined your wedding night, I provided insider information to Damon's competitor and I tried to steal him back from you just last week; so why would you help me? Are you some kind of a chronic do-gooder type?"

"No, but I don't believe that you're beyond saving. I think that you had to grow up trying to live up to your father and the society's expectations. I think that you made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I can still see some hope for redemption for you. And I doubt you have many friends who can give you genuine honesty, so I'm just telling you what you already know. You're going to prison, Katherine, and there's nothing your father can do to help you now. Not even if he wanted to. So, it's all up to you now. If you help Damon out, he just might find the compassion to help _you_ out. At least, I'll try to convince him of it," Elena smiled hesitantly when she saw hope flared in Katherine's eyes and hope that her comforting words might sway her opinion.

"I'll think about it," Katherine finally said and then paused in thought. "Hold on. _If_ I do it, if I become a witness to help Damon, you won't also expect me to like you, do you? Because I won't and I never will," she swore.

"God, no! I don't like _you_ either. In fact, I really hate you," Elena grimaced with a shudder.

"Really? You're not just saying that?" a relieved smile appeared on Katherine's face.

"Nope. Can't stand ya! If I wasn't pregnant right now, I'd kick you off my porch...on your face," Elena grinned back and just like that, there was a temporary truce between them, bonded by their mutual hatred towards one another. Without another word, Katherine stood up and removed a box from her car and then came right back.

"Here, these are all Damon's stuff he left at the apartment. The realtor came by earlier and apparently, the apartment's sold. So I packed up all his stuff in that box; his office documents, bills, statements. I'm moving back to one of my father's house tonight, so..." without another word, she turned back to her car with a little smile on her face, leaving Elena to hold onto the box on the porch, watching the tail lights of the car speeding away into the night.

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><p>Carrying the box carefully back upstairs, Elena started to put it away but then decided to go through some of the documents while she waited for Caroline and Stefan to arrive. So, she sat on the bed and poured out the contents and began to sift through them.<p>

"God, Damon, don't you have a life other than work?" she muttered to herself as she stacked a pile of various tender documents and office-related correspondences until she came upon an envelope with the words "PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE" printed in front.

With a frown, she flipped the envelope and found that the seal had been opened, so she reached into it and removed a stack of papers. With shaky hands, she started to read:

"IN RE THE MARRIAGE OF: DAMON SALVATORE, _Petitioner_, and ELENA GILBERT, _Respondent_..."

Shock sent her to her feet as she perused the rest of the document which contained details of their age, address, current employment until it came to the reason cited for the divorce; irreconcilable differences.

She turned over to the next page and the next until she finally came to the page where the signature of the petitioner was required and what she saw there made her sink back down onto the bed weakly, the offending document then slipped from her limp fingers onto the floor, just underneath the bed.

It was signed.

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><p>Damon was positively fuming as he stalked into his parents' mansion, rudely ignoring the greetings of the servants as he walked past them and straight into his father's study without knocking. Descending unnoticed from the staircase, Rosalyn observed his furious expression and then followed behind him into the room.<p>

"Let's make this clear once and for all, shall we?" Damon said by way of greeting, both his palms flat on Giuseppe's desk as he leaned over to stare his father right in the eye. "This will be the last time that you'll bully me to do any of your bidding, do you hear me? When I say 'no', I _do_ really mean no. And I didn't appreciate that you practically had Geoff dragged me down here when my wife needs me at home!" he glared down at his father's equally angry face.

"You watch your tone when you speak to me, boy! Your mother and I didn't bring you up to show such lack of respect for your elders, let alone your own father!" Giuseppe bit out in a tone so low, it was common knowledge in the Salvatore household that it was a clear sign that he shouldn't be pushed any further.

"You _don't_ deserve respect when you don't show the same courtesy to me. Well? I'm here now. What is this urgent meeting about that simply can't wait until Monday morning?" Damon straightened up from his aggressive stance and sat down in front of the desk before he was told to, earning him another glare from his father.

"You disappeared for a whole week from the office after we were awarded all six projects we tendered for _without_ an explanation and _now_ you're questioning me for calling a meeting? What's got into you lately, son? You used to have your priorities straight, and now that you're married, what, all of a sudden you don't have time to care about the company anymore? You used to be all about the company, son, and now you'd rather stay home with a teenager," his father shook his head in disappointment as he stared at his son as if he didn't recognize him anymore. And why _would_ he? Damon _has_ changed, for the sake of his family and for himself, he's become a different man; one who knew how to laugh, to see the other side of what life has to offer besides his career, and to know the value of love and relationship. His father couldn't understand that; his father didn't want to.

"Oh I _care_ about the company, father. And it's _because_ I care so much that I almost let it ruin my family. Who did you think got you those six projects a week ago, hmm? Who hired a team of private investigators to obtain evidences against Mason Lockwood and Katherine Pierce for cheating us out of multi-million dollar deals for the past year, hmm? Who told you all along that Katherine may be the mole that provided the inside information to Lockwood? And finally, who got the evidences against Kat and Lockwood and called the cops on them?" his voice got louder and louder until he was practically shouting at his father's surprised expression. "That's right; me. And I didn't do it alone either. Most of the ideas were Elena's and you know what she got as a token of appreciation? She took a tumble down the stairs and I almost lost my wife and my daughter because Katherine came to my house, begged me not to send her to jail and when I disagreed, she pushed Elena. So, if I wanted to stay home and take care of my wife who has been nothing but supportive and pro-active during this investigation, I think I have every right to do that _without_ your consent."

"You called the cops on Katherine? Are you _crazy_? How am I going to explain that to Nathan? We're going to lose his support, Damon! How could you not have come to me about this?" his father burst out, looking like he was going to burst a capillary as he shot up from his chair.

"Because I don't trust you!" Damon exclaimed, much to Giuseppe's and even _his_ own surprise.

"What? I'm the owner of the company! I built it from scratch with my own two hands. What do you mean you don't trust me?"

"Well, _you_ didn't trust me when I came to you with my suspicions. You didn't trust me by making an outsider the Managing Director of our own family business. You didn't trust me when I involved Elena in preparing the tenders. And most of all, I just told you that I had proof against Katherine, your most trusted partner's daughter, and the head of Lockwood Industries and all you could think about was Nathan Pierce's reaction. There's a third party involved in this whole corporate espionage case, and it may be Nathan or Nicholas. It may even be you for some twisted, insane reason only _you_ can think of. So, I called the cops and soon, everyone involved will be caught and dealt with," his steely blue eyes penetrated through Giuseppe's as he stared right at him, daring him to argue some more.

"When Lockwood goes down, their whole company will go down with him, and then all the lost accounts will be diverted back to us. And then with Katherine caught in the mix, Nathan will run and hide from the shame of it or he will want to prove his innocence by continuing to work with us. Either way, we won't need him anymore because his reputation would be shot to hell anyway. As for Nicholas, if he's the third party that sabotaged us, then you'd be glad to be rid of such a high-ranking mole anyway. If not, then at least you've got a good candidate to take over the company when you're dead. Because _I_ won't answer to you anymore, nor will I have to bow down to your unreasonable expectations anymore, because I quit!" Damon announced triumphantly, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction to finally stand up to his father and be a man.

A shocked gasp came from behind him and so Damon turned to meet the wide eyes of his mother's. "Damon, are you sure?" she asked quietly, but he couldn't tell if she asking him to reconsider or that she was supporting his decision as long as he was certain of it.

"Yes, Mother. I apologize for not seeing you there earlier, but this man had me seeing red when he dragged me away from Elena tonight," he answered in a gentler voice at the sight of her kind and understanding expression.

"Quit? Salvatores don't _get_ to quit! I didn't build the company for it to fall under the hands of an outsider! I've been grooming you all this time to be ready for the time when I handover the reins to you. We Salvatore men have nothing except our careers! The company should be _everything_ to you, like it was and _still_ is to me! Don't throw it all away because of your pride," Giuseppe slammed his fist down on the desk in frustration. Everything he had worked for, everything he did to prepare Damon to rise up to the challenge of being the future CEO of the company would be in vain if he quit now.

"Well, then maybe I'm _not_ a Salvatore," Damon shrugged and said in a quieter voice. "Maybe I'm a Gilbert now since I married one. And maybe you'd realize that one day when you're old and weak, unable to take care of yourself, you'd realize that your career won't be the one that'll remain by your side. You'll just be a rich old man, dying alone because you turned your family away in favour of your job. But me? I'd be happy even if I was broke and unemployed because I have a loving and supportive family to go home to, and that's something no amount of money can buy. So yes, I quit." And Damon had never felt more free than _that_ moment right then. It was as if an enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he was no longer under his father's control. It felt good. It felt _really_ good.

"Just like that, huh? You're giving up your childhood dream...for what? For a girl you met at a bar and managed to knock up? What are you even going to do for money, huh? If you even _consider_ that I'll support you or keep you in my will, then you've got another thing coming, boy! If you quit now, I'll cut you off. I mean it, Damon! I want to see how you'll survive without a job or any kind of future until one day you'll come crawling back to me if _only_ to beg for bits and crumbs!" Giuseppe's jaw muscle was ticking by the end of that sentence, willing his son to immediately cave in and cease being so stubborn.

"Is that a _dare_ I'm hearing? After all I've done, do you _still_ doubt my capabilities? Go ahead, cut me off! Unlike you, I don't need to depend on people like Nathan Pierce to bring me projects. I prefer to depend on myself and my own abilities. I'm selling my apartment and I'm still a shareholder in Salvatore Corporation. When the case is over and when the company gets all the lost tenders back, our shares will skyrocket and _that's_ when I'll sell my shares. Not only will I make a huge chunk of change, I will start my own company and build my _own_ empire." He pretended to pause to consider for a moment, "Let me see, what should I name it? Maybe Gilbert Industries? No? Gilbert Corporation? Still no? Maybe Gilbert Enterprise? Well, whatever name I come up with, you can be sure it won't have anything to do with _you_ or the Salvatore name."

Giuseppe's face was positively livid by now, his hands in clenched fists at his side, looking as if he wanted to reach over and punch his son for his rebellion. But Damon had already turned around and started to walk towards the door, having said everything he had ever wanted to say to his father all these years. Now all he wanted to do was to get out of the house and get back to his wife.

"Damon! If you walk out of this house now, that's it; no turning back anymore, understand? You're leaving here without the protection of your family name and no matter what happens to you in the future, I will no longer lift a hand to help you anymore. Not even if you're dying of thirst, you hear me?" His face red with anger, the elder Salvatore stared stoically at his son's back, awaiting his answer. When he saw him turn back to raise those unwavering blue eyes to his with a hard nod, once again he burst out in retaliation. "Go on then, go back to that poor pariah you married and that little brat in her belly! You are _all_ dead to me now. If I see you or that bitch near any of my properties again, I'll haul _both_ your asses to jail for trespassing and I don't care if that bastard child of yours would survive it!"

"You son of a bitch!" Damon roared as he rushed back to the desk and planted a sharp jab to the old man's jaw, sending him sprawling into his leather seat in an unceremonious heap. Ignoring the sharp pain in his knuckles, he focused his icy gaze at Giuseppe's fearful ones for a few seconds, and then without another word, he straightened up and stalked out of the room.

"Well, if he isn't the most stubborn man alive!" Giuseppe gritted out through clenched teeth as he massaged his aching jaw, still in shock at being punched by his own son.

"And if it isn't the pot calling the kettle black. But Damon's absolutely right, you know," Rosalyn paused as she surveyed her husband's swollen jaw with little concern. "About your mother; she _was_ quite a bitch, God rest her soul. Oh, and Giuseppe," she said in her normal formal tone as she turned to exit from the room, "I would like a divorce if you don't mind. I can have my lawyers draft it up and sent to your office since you'll be staying there from now on. And I'd get some ice on that jaw if I were you. Good night," and with that, Rosalyn exited the study and made her way upstairs, humming a little song as she went.

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><p>Elena's body racked with sobs as the shock of finding the divorce papers signed by Damon washed through her. She knew it. As soon as everything started going so smoothly for them, she had known, always expected for the other shoe to drop. And it <em>did<em>, in the worst possible way. There had been no warnings, no signs that could have warned her of this latest development. She couldn't find any rhyme or reason for him to have those documents ready and signed, and to know that they were kept in the apartment with Katherine; it made her doubt all the things he said about his involvement with his ex. Perhaps what Katherine told her on their wedding night was true; he had been having an affair with her the _whole_ time, or at least in the beginning stages of their marriage. That would explain why he would still go back to the apartment he shared with her and still have his documents stored there.

It could even be possible that he really _did_ fall in love with her, eventually. He couldn't have been _that_ good an actor. He has been the most loving, attentive, wonderful husband to her, especially since their honeymoon. He couldn't have possibly faked _all_ of it. No, she refused to believe that it wasn't real at all. He loved her, she knew he did.

But then why didn't he tell her about the divorce papers? If he could admit that he never liked her cooking when she woke up from her fall, why didn't he tell her the truth about this? Was it all just a big fat lie? Was this all just a nightmare that she could wake up from? It was too cruel to be real. She didn't want it to be real.

She stopped crying when she suddenly felt an odd sensation in her lower abdomen. At first it started as a cramp would; spasms of tightness and then a short moment of relief. Then it began again, in a terrifying cycle until she looked down and saw the bed sheet stained with red.

Blood.

"No, no, no, please God, no! Not my baby," she whispered in a prayer as shooting pains gripped her. Frantically, she looked around for her phone, forgetting where she placed it, and then she spotted the charger in the other corner, near to the walk-in closet and it was attached to Damon's phone.

She stood up quickly, and felt three things happening simultaneously; her ankle throbbed from the sudden weight, the pain in her lower abdomen grew sharper, and even more blood flowed down her legs, making her thighs slippery. She had no choice but to limp her way to the phone, all the while biting her lower lip in fear and also praying the whole time that everything would work out in the end.

With trembling hands, she reached out to lift the phone and dialled Caroline's number since she should be the nearest to reach her. Thankfully, she picked up after only two rings, her bubbly voice apologetic over the phone.

"I know, I know, Damon. I'm sorry we're late but there was a massive jam near the cinema and we couldn't get out of the parking bay. We're almost there, like a traffic light, another corner then we're there, okay?" Caroline rambled without giving Elena a chance to speak.

"Care? Help me," she croaked, her voice hoarse from all the crying.

"Elena? Why do you have Damon's phone with you?" the blonde asked, not realizing what Elena said.

"Help, I'm bleeding. I'm losing the baby," Elena said a little louder now, although her voice still trembled from fear and the violent sobs.

"Oh God! We're almost there. Stefan! Elena's bleeding! Step on it! We have to get to her!" she could hear Caroline's panic over the phone as she yelled at Stefan to hurry.

"But it's a red light! Where's Damon?" came Stefan's voice.

"Go, Stef, go! Didn't you hear me? She's bleeding and she has Damon's phone! Elena, honey, we're almost there! Two seconds," Caroline yelled in the phone.

Elena dropped the phone from her grasp when she felt another wave of pain twisting her insides and sent her onto the floor, curled up in a fetal position as she cried. In the last moments before she lost consciousness from the blood loss, she prayed to God for strength, for luck, for hope and finally, for her baby's life, even if she had to give her own.

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><p><strong>So, that little smile that appeared on Katherine as she left; did you all think she left the divorce documents deliberately or was it just a smile from the temporary truce between the brunettes? It's entirely up to you to decipher, there's no right or wrong answer. <strong>

**So, Damon finally grew some balls. He's come a long way and three cheers for him and also for Rosalyn, who decided to divorce the ass she married.**

**Yes, another cliffhanger. Yeah, yeah, you and I know that it's the mystery that keeps us anxious for more. Otherwise, why don't I just give away the ending right now?**

**Elena dies. Not really. No, she doesn't. Or does she? Depends on the number of reviews for this chapter...and my insane mood.**

**READ & R-E-V-I-E-W! (Although I know you're just going to ignore me anyway!) COME ON, BE NICE!**

**My twitter : cgsa_cher**


	35. Chapter 35

**DISCLAIMER: Reading disclaimers before a chapter could spoil your mood at times, because it may be a warning of what the chapter is all about, therefore spoiling the element of surprise. So, this disclaimer is a disclaimer about disclaimers; confused yet? No? Then you're not drunk enough. Go grab a beer and come right back. (For those underage and not allowed to drink, read 'beer' as in root beer.)**

**DISCLAIMER #2: Drinking and reading is not encouraged nor endorsed by the author. Although the beer companies might have you believe otherwise. So, be a good reader and put the beer (root beer) right back in the fridge. Now, as you made your way back from the fridge, you're probably wondering you just did what I asked without thinking. That's the power of compulsion.**

**DISCLAIMER #3: Never read disclaimers that have nothing to do with anything, especially the chapter or the story. It's a waste of time and effort. **

**TOO LATE.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 35: Loss <strong>

"Elena, where _are_ you?" Caroline shouted when she finally managed to wrestle the front door open with Stefan right behind her. They made their way inside the house and split up, trying to look for the girl who's brought nothing but joy into their lives. Caroline ran upstairs, taking three steps at a time as Stefan poked his head into the kitchen, calling her name as he went.

Caroline could practically smell the blood as she walked into the master bedroom, her eyes wide with horror as she first registered the blood stains on the white sheets on the bed, and then her gaze fell on the prone figure in the corner.

"Stefan! She's in her room. Oh God, it's bad! It's _really_ bad!" she shouted in despair as she choked back her fear at seeing the thick pool of blood under Elena, who was lying down on the floor with Damon's phone just out of reach near her fingertips.

"Elena? We're here now and we're going to get you to the hospital, okay? You'll be fine," she whispered softly to her friend, but her heart was racing when she failed to get even the slightest response from Elena. "Stefan! Haul ass, grandpa!" she yelled out in frustration when he still didn't show up in the room. That did the job as Stefan skidded to a stop near the bed as he ran in.

"I'm here, I'm here! Oh God, there's so much blood! I _hate_ blood," Stefan admitted as he took in the sight of the red liquid on the bed and on the floor, creating a path to where Elena now laid on the floor.

"Well, suck it up because we need to get her to the hospital. Stat!" Caroline snapped at him and went to grab a couple of towels from the wardrobe just as Stefan lifted a very pale Elena up in his arms, cringing when her blood stained his shirt.

"Grab me one of Damon's shirt, will you?" he asked as he carefully made his way out of the room, trying not to jostle the girl in his arms too much.

"_Really_? You're _that_ fashion-conscious that you have to steal your brother's designer shirt in an emergency like this?" Caroline asked in disbelief while she grabbed one of the black shirts from a hanger from Damon's side of the wardrobe.

"My shirt is stained with blood, Care! I'll need to change if you don't want me to pass out or get sick in the car. I really can't stand the sight of blood," he grimaced as he made his way downstairs with the blonde right on his heels.

"I'll sit in the back with her while you drive. What about Damon? We need to let him know," she asked as she arranged the towels on the backseat of the car and then Stefan gently lowered Elena onto the seat before he hastily removed his sweater and threw it on the floor before he redressed again in his brother's shirt, heaving a sigh of relief as he did so.

"Try my parents' place; he's probably still there. Call Jenna too," he instructed as he started the car and put it in reverse, and then they were on their way to the hospital.

* * *

><p>As he started the journey back home, Damon felt...liberated and oddly at peace even though his life was now clouded with uncertainties. He grew up with a deep sense of who he was; a Salvatore who had certain expectations as to how he should act and behave. He had always known that he would take over the family's business one day, and that he would live and breathe the job at his father's company. If his father didn't push him to be with Katherine, he probably wouldn't even settle down and get married. He was perfectly comfortable being who he was as a teenager; a rich and handsome libertine who had casual, meaningless sex with women when he wanted to.<p>

While it was true that he didn't have affairs while he's in a relationship with a woman, he always thought that sex and love were completely different things. Sex was required to make him feel good and wanted, and love...simply didn't exist. His father's words rang repeatedly in his head again as he drove; _"We Salvatore men have nothing except our careers! The company should be everything to you, like it was and still is to me!"_

He grew up truly believing that notion and he had lived his life being obsessed with building his career and living up to his father's expectations, even as far as society's expectations. And what a damned fool he was! Now that he knew better, he felt nothing but pity for his father. No wonder Giuseppe was so unhappy all the time and kept imposing his ridiculous values on his sons and his employees. And he was foolish enough to listen to his father for so long.

He never imagined that he'd be married or have his own family one day. Nor did he _want_ to, until one fine day when he walked out on Katherine and into a bar where he met Elena. She completely changed his life from the first moment he saw her. Thank goodness he wasn't so far gone like his father that he couldn't turn back and simply allowed himself to fall in love and be happy. Now, he had a family and a group of really great friends that he can't seem to live without. _And_ he had a future that was yet to be written or planned for. An uncertain future was supposed to be scary and stressful, but he felt anything _but_ those feelings because he knew that he'd be fine as long as he had his family and friends in his life. Those were the only constant things in his future at the moment, and he was fine with that.

He pulled up to the front yard feeling incredibly lucky and satisfied, knowing that he was finally going to concentrate on Elena getting better now that he was done with his father, his company, and the case. He couldn't wait to go inside to tell his wife all about starting anew; perhaps they could go on another trip overseas away from everything, just the two of them for a couple of months, just experiencing what else life had to offer now that he had some free time.

As he stepped out from his car, he belatedly realized that there should have been another car on his lawn, but perhaps Stefan left Caroline there and then left to get dinner or something. Maybe Elena and Caroline needed to do some girl-time and bond over their love for the Salvatore brothers, he smirked as he made his way into the house, frowning slightly when the front door opened with no effort. It wasn't even locked.

"Girls?" he called out, puzzled that the house was so quiet and dark. He expected to hear some girly giggles at least, with Caroline in the house. Stopping only long enough to remove his jacket and throwing it over the back of the couch, he ran up the stairs, still listening intently for any sign of there being anyone around. If Elena had been all alone the whole time and if his brother and his girlfriend weren't even _there_ yet, they would have some serious explaining to do. And then, heads _will_ roll.

He sighed with relief when he saw the light from under their bedroom door; it meant that Elena was awake and probably waiting for him. He pushed open the door softly, expecting to see her on the bed but what he saw instead made his blood ran cold and his heart started to hammer in his chest.

Blood. Lots of it.

The sheets were soaked with it and then his eyes followed the small drops on the floor right by the bed, making their way to the opposite corner of the room – where a bigger puddle of blood collected on the floor, right next to his phone.

"No!" he breathed out in denial as he rushed over to pick up his phone while mentally cursing himself for ever leaving Elena alone in the first place. If anything happened to her or his baby – he couldn't even bear to finish the thought. He scrolled down the recently made calls and as he suspected, the last call was made to Caroline. Pressing the redial button, he quickly scanned the walk-in wardrobe and the en-suite bathroom to see if Elena had gone in there just in case he missed her. It was then that he saw the box and the stack of papers on the bed next to the blood stains but then he got distracted when his call connected.

"Damon! Where _were_ you? I called Mama Rosa but she told us that you've left the mansion and I couldn't reach you since your phone was wi-" Caroline sounded incredibly upset as she rambled on, but Damon was not in the mood to listen to her. All he cared about was Elena right now; everything else wasn't important.

"Care, what happened? Where is she?" he interrupted even as he went back downstairs to get his jacket and car keys, confident that Elena was no longer in the house.

"Get to the hospital as fast as you can," was all Caroline said, and he reacted based solely on her tone of voice alone, running over to his car but just before he got in, he caught sight of the discarded sweater that belonged to Stefan. Damon bent down to pick it up, and then his heart almost stopped beating when he saw how much blood was soaked through the front. He correctly assumed that it was just from the few seconds it would take Stefan to carry Elena from the room down to the car.

"Is she – will she die?" he whispered in a broken voice as his fist clenched around the fabric. He heard a defeated sigh and then a long pause.

"They're doing all they can for her and the baby, but it-it's not good, Damon. Just-just hurry up," she said sadly and that was all it took for him to be on the move again.

* * *

><p>Even though Damon arrived at the hospital in record time, by the time he ran in to the waiting room, Ric and Jenna were already there and her eyes were red-rimmed from crying into her fiancée's arms, worried about her niece.<p>

"Any news yet?" Damon asked as soon as he was within earshot. Caroline shook her head as she bit down on her lower lip, unable to say anything for once. And so, they waited.

Elijah arrived not long after Damon and after a long searching look on everyone's expression, his jaw clamped tightly shut but he didn't say a word as he sank down on a vacant seat. It wasn't a time for words or questions, not when someone they cared about was fighting for her life along with her unborn child's. Another half an hour went by and then Bonnie joined them, her face pale with worry and anxiety, and then broke into tears as she hugged Jenna.

It was déjà vu all over again; it was just last weekend that they were all sitting in the same waiting room, worried sick over Elena's condition when she lost consciousness when she fell down the stairs. But _this_ time, it was even worse because the situation was so much more dire somehow. There was blood; a _lot_ of it, and that made it seem even more ominous.

"Elena's mother died from blood loss," Damon announced suddenly, and that made the others rouse from their own thoughts when they heard his unnaturally loud voice in the deathly silent room.

"What? No, my sister died in a car crash from a head injury actually, not blood loss," Jenna spoke up in confusion but Damon just shook his head.

"Not her adoptive mother. I meant her _real_ mother, the one who died when Elena was born. John Gilbert said she died from complications and excessive loss of blood. Her name was Isobel, I think," he explained tonelessly, his voice devoid of any emotion. He didn't allow himself to feel anything at that moment, not when he was supposed to remain strong for Elena and his baby.

"_John_ told you that? That's weird; he's never spoken about Elena's birth mother before. Why would he tell _you_, though?" Jenna asked with a frown. The others were listening intently by now; one – for lack of anything else to do, and two – because they haven't heard of Elena's back story, for the exception of Ric who was there the night John Gilbert beat the crap out of Damon on Elena's nineteenth birthday.

"Because I asked him why he hated his own daughter when she didn't do anything wrong. That's when he told me about the story where Isobel died in the hospital after giving birth to Elena. And he has blamed her for losing the love of his life ever since. And also for causing her parents to die in the car crash when she survived but _they_ didn't. That's why he doesn't want anything to do with her, I guess," he shrugged dismissively as he stood up, unable to stand the waiting any longer. He started pacing nervously, his thoughts all over the place with worry and uncertainty.

"Oh great, _now_ he tells me," Jenna muttered to herself and then groaned. "I texted John earlier when Caroline called me. I thought that he should know since, well, Elena's his daughter and she might not –" she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence but the possibility was present in everyone's mind, although none of them wanted to hear it being said out loud.

"She'll be fine! She _has_ to be," Damon growled fiercely as though he could convince himself and the others simply by the will to be right alone.

"There was so much blood," Stefan whispered then, and the rest shifted their attention to him then. It was the first time he spoke since they arrived at the hospital and besides being wild with worry, everyone was still unsure of what happened in the house. But they could tell that it was pretty bad judging by his traumatized expression and his troubled tone.

"What happened, Stef? How did she start bleeding? She was still sleeping when I left her, how could it all change in a matter of minutes?" Damon asked when he finally allowed himself to slowly process what he saw back at the house. Elena had called Caroline's phone, meaning that she was alone at home when the bleeding started. "She was getting better! She was recovering! What the hell happened while I was gone?" he wondered out loud to no one in particular.

"We didn't expect to be delayed as we were leaving the parking lot of the cinema. We were just around the corner from your house when I got the call from her. At first, I thought it was you because she called from your phone, but then she-she told me to help her as she was bleeding. And then I couldn't hear her anymore! She must have passed out then, because when we got there, she wasn't responding and there was already a pool of blood on the floor under her. Stefan carried her to the car and I called the mansion, then Jenna and then-and then here we are," Caroline sobbed again as she recounted the horrifying experience of finding her best friend on the floor, unmoving and deathly pale.

"So much blood," Stefan whispered again with a broken expression. "The bed, the floor, the car," he shuddered as he remembered.

"I _shouldn't_ have left her! If I stayed at home like I planned or if I brought her along with me, then none of this would have happened. Or at the very least, I would have been there with her! She must have been terrified, and oh God, I took her phone with me because I didn't know where _mine_ was. She didn't even know that I took it so she couldn't call me. And then she had to bleed her way over to the other side of the room to call you guys..." Damon buried his face in his palms at the thought that _he_ might be the one responsible for Elena's condition and that thought scared him so much that his hands were shaking.

"Stop it, Damon!" Ric scolded, hating to see his friend playing the blame game on himself again. "None of us wanted this to happen to her, but it did so we'll just have to accept that it did and move on to how we can help her now. We could play 'What ifs' the whole damn night and we still won't know what could have happened. As far as I'm concerned, Dr. Michaels told us last week that there was a risk of this happening, and guess what? He was right! So this _isn't_ anybody's fault except for some cruel twist of fate. Now, how about we do something productive for a change and try to contact the best doctors in New York and get them here to help Elena? There must be _someone_ we can call who specializes in this type of complications," he pulled out his phone and started pulling up medical professionals' websites. "I need to do some research. Elijah, you're a reporter. Don't you have some names or contacts that we can call to find out more?"

At the sound of his name being called, Elijah looked up quickly, but before he could even think of answering Ric, the double doors swung open to reveal a doctor followed by Kol Michaels still in his scrubs. The hospital had called Dr. Michaels in the moment they admitted Elena, following his instructions he left the previous week to contact him if his patient came in due to pregnancy complications.

"Mr. Salvatore?" the doctor in front of Kol said softly as he approached the anxious group of people in the waiting room, and at the sound of his voice, everyone stood up and crowded around him, their expression in varying degrees of worry, sadness and helplessness. All except for Damon, who took one look at Kol's grave expression and the way his shoulders drooped down, as if the doctor couldn't bear to be the bearer of bad news, and he took a few involuntary steps backwards until his back hit the wall behind him. He slid down the wall slowly as all hope drained from his body, his mind screaming in denial as his legs gave way.

He barely registered the next few words that came out of the doctor's mouth as he felt his whole body shut down, unable to process anything as he began to tremble uncontrollably. Then he heard loud weird noises around him and he tried to cover his ears with shaking hands to try to drown out the sounds but then he realised after a while that they came from him. He was choking back the sobs that threatened to envelope him; the strangled sounds were the beginning signs of the hysteria that was about to burst out of him, but he hung on to his control by a very fragile thread driven only by the need to hold it together long enough to see her. It didn't matter what he'd find when he saw her, but he just _had_ to see her for himself, if only to accept the reality of what just happened.

It was _then_ that he allowed his mind to process what the doctor said moments ago, and then the tears came pouring out of his eyes, even as he felt his body being enveloped by a pair of hands belonging to another trembling body; his mother, Rosalyn. He didn't even know when she had arrived but he was grateful that she was there for him then. He allowed her to gather him in her arms as he wept, for his daughter that he'd never meet, for his wife and also for himself.

"Mama," he moaned out as Rosalyn rocked him, shushing him and whispering words of comfort to him as they cried together right there on the floor. He heard the heartbroken sobs of the rest of the group reacting to the doctor's words, but only two words stood out from the rest:

"I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>It was exactly one week after the heart-wrenching scene at the hospital, one week of pure torture for the man who lost everything that mattered. That man, Damon Salvatore now stood near the front pew of the church, dressed in his best black suit chosen for him by his mother for the occasion. He was surrounded by people he loved, people whom he was acquaintances with, and people he didn't know and didn't give a crap about.<p>

It was a nice day, weather-wise, for a funeral. It was ironic, really, how clear the skies were, hardly any clouds and the temperature was perfect for a picnic in the park or a day out in a zoo. But all Damon wanted to do was to bury himself in a bed and not wake up again. He wanted grey skies, maybe a little rain or even pouring rain, or a raging storm, just to mirror his inner feelings as he stood there, being offered condolences by faceless people who didn't give a crap about him.

He longed to be away from all this, the people, the organ music, the hushed conversations as they shot sympathetic looks his way, but he _had_ to stay. He had to say goodbye. Turning his back on another approaching group of people who were Giuseppe's business friends, he walked towards the coffin right in front, surrounded by flowers of all kinds. He felt a violent tug in his heart again at the reminder of what he had lost a week ago, and wondered how he was going to move past this constant ache. He was the burning man again, engulfed in flames of perpetual despair.

Just then, there was a change in the background noises, it went deathly silent for a moment, and then whispers as slow footsteps made their way down from the church entrance towards the coffin. He knew instantly who it was, even without looking and his heart shattered all over again. Unable to control himself, he turned around and his eyes locked onto the approaching party of five, all dressed in black. His heart beat a little faster as he saw the familiar faces; Caroline and Bonnie in front, and then Jeremy slightly behind them, and finally, as they came even nearer, Jenna and _her_. His wife, dressed in a black dress, her hair flowing around her pale and thinner face, her eyes covered behind a pair of sunglasses. She was being supported by Jenna who was holding on to her as if she could hardly even walk, but she seemed to be as...emotionless as he was. On the outside, at least.

It was the very first time he'd seen her since that night at the hospital, when she'd turn him away, refusing to see him when he'd tried to enter her room to comfort her, to grieve with her, to tell her how sorry he was for not being there for her when she needed him the most. Seeing her _then_, at their daughter's funeral, after a whole week of uncertainty, lack of sleep, alcohol binge, and self-blame; the sight of her almost sent him to his knees. He had to tell her how sorry he was for not being home the night that she almost bled to death, he had to know if she blamed _him_ for their daughter's death, he had to find out how she's coping with all this.

He made a move towards her but Caroline stopped him before he could even get near enough to call out to her.

"Damon, don't! Not yet. She needs some time," the blonde warned kindly. She hated to see her god-brother in such pain, but Elena needed this time to come to terms with what happened. Besides, Elena specifically said that she didn't want Damon to go anywhere near her, that she just wanted to say her goodbyes to her daughter, and then she wanted to go off somewhere to mourn her loss. How was Caroline supposed to deny her friend the time she needed to herself, especially when she _almost_ died herself?

"Care, I _gave_ her time. I gave her a week. I have to see my wife, I _need_ to," Damon insisted and tried to pull her aside so that he could move past her to get to the brunette he was aching to hold in his arms.

"Damon, she doesn't want to, not yet anyway. You can't believe the effort it took for all of us to convince her to come out in public, to face all these people. She made us promise to keep her away from everyone during the funeral and we _all_ did. That's how we finally managed to get her to put on a dress and come to the church," she explained softly, her loyalty torn between a friend in need and the man standing in front of her, his eyes filled with pain and unshed tears.

"I'm not 'everyone' - I am her husband! It's my daughter in that coffin too! _I'm_ grieving too! Why can't we grieve together? I _need_ her, Care, I need Elena. I need to tell her that it wasn't her fault and that we'll get through this together. I won't let her go through this alone. So, please, Care, let me through," he whispered as he lost the battle of holding his tears back, they were cascading freely down his cheeks as his eyes refused to look away from Elena. Caroline had to hold back her own tears at the sight of his, but then Jeremy came over.

"Damon, my sister wants to say a few words to the baby, and she can't take any more stress. Can we just get through the funeral first, and then we'll figure things out later when there are less people around? Please, I know you want to talk to her, but she really can't handle anything other than saying her goodbyes for now. I promise that I'll let you know where she'd be _after_ the funeral. But for now, just–just let it go, please," the younger Jeremy pled, he looked sad and at a loss at what to do for his sister and for his brother-in law he'd come to know and respect. Even liked.

At Jeremy's words, Damon's eyes flared with hope at the thought of being able to see her, to touch her, to be with her after the funeral. He had so much he wanted to say, to explain, and even more questions for her, but he agreed that there was a time and place for such discussions. So, with a hard look at Jeremy, indicating that he fully expected to hold him to his promise, he nodded his agreement and reluctantly stepped aside and allowed the group to pass, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. He noted with disappointment that she didn't even want to look at him even once, but he _could_ be wrong since she had on the huge sunglasses that covered half of her face.

He took a seat in between Stefan and Ric, who both patted his back with reassuring squeezes on his shoulder, and he kept a close on her as she approached the tiny coffin. He was watching so intently that he even noticed the shaky quiver of her chin as she parted her lips and the deep breath that she took to steady herself as she forced herself not to break down. He saw her lips moving as a stray tear made its way down her cheek, spilling over the frame of her sunglass, and he knew that she was on the verge of a breakdown. But she _didn't_ weep; in fact, it was as if she just erected a protective wall of security around her right then because her face was suddenly devoid of all emotions.

She reached into a paper bag held by Jeremy, and what she removed from it made Damon gasped out in shock; it was Mr. Cuddles, her favourite teddy bear. She hugged it for one last time and then she placed it on top of the coffin – she was giving the bear to their daughter! Seeing that almost sent Damon to his feet, but it was solely on his promise to allow her this time for her goodbye that he didn't throw caution to the wind and leaped over everyone to get to her, to wrap his arms around her and allowed them both to shatter to pieces. But he didn't and then the moment was over as she and her four bodyguards moved as a unit to the other side of the aisle.

This whole thing was wrong. She _should_ be next to him, letting him hold her as she cried, but she wasn't. She was sitting on the other side as if they were nothing but acquaintances, and she still hasn't really cried yet. Not during the week she spent at the hospital, at least not according to Caroline. He knew that she was angry at him, and he wanted the chance to explain himself but they could at least be there for each other during the funeral of their daughter! If they could just grieve together, it would probably help to mend their temporary rift left by something stupid he did months ago.

All too soon, the service was over before he had his fill of watching Elena, and then everyone was on their feet, making their way out of the church. Damon could only stare helplessly as his wife was steered further and further away from him, and there was nothing he could do to reach her, not with the hundreds of people who suddenly stood between them as everyone clamoured for the exit. He half-expected for people to turn around and asked him why his wife wasn't speaking to him but he assumed that they would rather follow the heartbreakingly beautiful brunette to catch a last glimpse of her before she disappeared again.

So, Damon waited as he had done all week. Waited for news, waited for his turn to see her in the hospital room, waited for an explanation as to why she refused to see him and then waited some more for a sign or _something_ that gave him some hope that things will work out. But so far, there were none. And now, he was sitting alone in a church, watching some guys come over to wheel the tiny coffin off with the bear on top, probably to the crematorium. He stood up as they passed him, and he reached out a hand to stop them as he approached them.

"Just-I need a minute alone, guys," he muttered and then the guys backed off as they nodded in understanding. He lifted the bear to his face and breathed in deeply, inhaling _her_ scent. The bear had somehow become a symbol of their love and it was somewhat fitting that now, Elena decided to pass it on to their daughter as something to remember them by. But he couldn't help but to see it as an omen; as if Elena wasn't just bidding their daughter goodbye, but also to _their_ love as well. To their marriage. To their future.

He shook his head to clear such thoughts in his mind. It was bad enough that everything happened, but he was merely torturing himself further by speculating on what Elena was thinking. _No_, he thought, _today was about saying goodbye to their daughter and that's what he should do_. So, with a parting kiss on the bear's soft head, he laid it back on top of the coffin and whispered lovingly, "Goodbye, my little purple. My daughter, Elizabeth Ava Salvatore. May you find peace wherever you are. Oh, and help your daddy out, won't you? Mummy's kinda angry with me. We love you."

With a last lingering look, he nodded to the guys and then he strolled out of the church, his hands buried in his pockets as he concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other until he was out on broad daylight. The compound was surprisingly empty except for a car parked a few feet off the main gates of the church grounds. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he squinted a little and could only make out the shape of a man seated in the driver's side. Seeing Damon's appearance, the man swung open the car door and stepped out of the vehicle to make his way to him. As he got nearer, Damon noted with mounting concern when he saw that it was Detective Fielding.

"Mr. Salvatore, I'm so sorry for your loss," the detective said as he reached out a hand to Damon who accepted it as an offer of condolence.

"What brings you here, Detective?"

"There's been a sudden development in the case. Ms. Pierce approached us two days ago and gave a statement against Mason Lockwood and another guy. I came to tell you that we just picked him up an hour ago," Detective Fielding said vaguely.

"Well, who _is_ it? Do I know him?" Damon asked with a frown. He was rather taken aback that Katherine actually came through for him in the end by agreeing to be the sole witness against Lockwood and now even disclosing the third culprit involved. And, he honestly had no idea who it could be at this point.

"Yeah, yeah, you _know_ him, alright!" came the flippant reply.

* * *

><p><strong>Most of you are probably wondering what the hell you missed, right? The missing week between the hospital scene when the doctor said 'I'm sorry' (deliberately hinting that there's A death or even 2 deaths to keep you guys on your toes) and the funeral scene with Elena's appearance (confirming that it was indeed 2 deaths – counting baby and Mr. Cuddles) will be revealed in the next chapter in a flashback from both point of views. The divorce papers will be addressed, along with Katherine and the identity of the third culprit involved in the case. We know it's a HIM. <strong>

**I know that some of you are probably heartbroken, angry, furious, upset with me for not only killing off Little Purple but also Mr. Cuddles. And for that I have to say that I'm truly sorry but it had to happen for the plot. Yes, it's a sad chapter, and you're probably yelling at me now, but they _will_ get through it later on. There's still hope. So, please put the bazooka down and no one else gets hurt except for Katherine. Besides, I just washed my hair, and the rocket will just mess up my do. **

**Like it, love it, hate it, don't much care for it: just review for the heck of it! Don't you think Little Purple deserves it?**

**My twitter: cgsa_cher**


	36. Chapter 36

**Thank you for not threatening to kill me after the last chapter. Ok, except for only one threat, but since it was written in French, I will pretend that I didn't understand it and it's now ignored (Thanks Kim *wink*). Moving on. **

**To Molly (an unregistered reviewer): I'm so sorry for your loss. I know that chapter was hard for you to read because it was so close to home, and taking in consideration your past experience, of course it will bring back horrible memories for you. All I can say is that even though this story is a fiction and with fictional characters, it's meant to be based on REAL experiences. Miscarriages, still births, death, loss, infidelity, tragedy, cheating and lying, etc...these are part of our society's problems and are very real to a lot of people. Even though it's an extremely heartbreaking thing for people and for these two main characters to go through, nevertheless we will get to see how people choose to move on from such a traumatic experience. Some people can't move on, and some people eventually do. For the sake of this story, I will try to write as realistically as possible how these two individuals attempt to face it. Maybe some people might be able to relate to them or help people in some way. I don't know. But please don't be sad. You'll realize how strong you've been to have gone through it and still have the strength to wake up every morning and survive. And for that, you have my utmost respect! **

**DISCLAIMER: Go grab a drink. You'll need it! When you realize that you can't see straight, come back and continue reading this chapter. I warned you.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 36: Guilt <strong>

_(One week earlier – Hospital)_

Seconds, minutes, hours. Three hours, twelve minutes and thirty-three seconds to be exact.

That's how long time had passed ever since news broke that Elena had suffered from a miscarriage. Even though the group had reacted as how one would expect them to after receiving such devastating news three plus hours ago, it still didn't feel real to them, particularly for Damon.

Yes, he was told that his baby had died inside Elena's belly. Yes, he understood the concept that he no longer had a daughter that was due to come out to greet him in four short months. Yes, he knew that he was no longer an expectant father. But how does one lose something that they've never had? Or held? It didn't seem real to him, but of course it _was_ real. He'd listened to the baby's heartbeat. He'd seen the ultrasound scans. He'd witnessed himself the baby's kicks and wriggling movements when he watched the monitor in Dr. Michaels' office.

But she wasn't tangible, in a physical sense. He hasn't touched her, felt her skin, carried her, and seen her face. And he never will. He supposed that it didn't feel real to him because it felt more like a nightmare or a very disturbing daydream that he was going to wake up from at _any_ moment now. _Any_ second now.

That thought kept repeating in his head, over and over again, until three hours, twelve minutes and thirty-three seconds later. It finally sunk in. Little Purple was no more. The life that was growing inside Elena was now...gone. No, his daughter wasn't physically real - as in, a solid mass that could be felt by touch – but the loss was real. And it bloody hurt!

And so the gang sat on the floor of the waiting room, trying to bring comfort to each other and trying to bolster their spirits to remain strong for Elena who would possibly have the worst reaction to the loss than anyone in the room. It may not seem real for the rest, but it was certainly real for the mother-to-be. After all, the baby was _inside_ of her. She was very much a part of her body for the past five months or so. Her swollen body was proof of how real the baby was. At that point, none of them wanted to be in the hospital room with her when she wakes up to find that everything was now different. It would be so heartbreaking to watch.

"Damon?" Dr. Michaels called out softly as he re-entered the waiting room, looking exhausted and frazzled. Damon hastily got to his feet but he held onto Rosalyn's hand as he approached the doctor with the rest of the gang trailing behind him.

"She's awake now, but she's still extremely weak. We had to do an emergency blood transfusion during the D&C procedure since she lost too much blood. It was a bit touch and go there for a moment; it was a _very_ close call. So far, the bleeding has stopped but she'd already been through so much lately, starting from last week when she fell down that she's not dealing with it all yet. I don't think the reality of the situation has hit her yet, either. At your request, Dr. Fell is with her now, checking on her vital stats and making sure that she doesn't develop any infection. She'll need some time, but she'll be fine," Kol nodded confidently, slightly less depressed that he was able to deliver _some_ optimistic news at least. Especially after the week they've had.

Damon released the breath that he had been holding and relaxed his increasingly tight grip on his mother's hand as he heard the last statement from him. He flashed an apologetic look at his mother before he returned his attention to the doctor.

"So when can I see her? She's probably scared out of her mind by now, right?" he asked, already brushing Kol aside as he started walking towards the double doors that led to the wards.

"Wait, Damon. Hold on a moment," Kol turned and held out his arm in an attempt to stop the anxious man who was eager to see his wife after being on the verge of losing her. "She-she asked for her aunt Jenna. Before, in the room...she said that she _only_ wanted to see Jenna," Damon could hear the hesitation in his voice, as if there more that he left unsaid for fear of hurting his feelings. He didn't miss the specific emphasis on the word 'only' in his last statement.

"What? _Of course _she'd want to see me! I'm her husband! We're like a packaged deal," he insisted without breaking his stride as he went from room to room in search of his wife, ignoring her obstetrician who was running after him to catch up.

"Damon, she's not-" Kol broke off when Damon found her room and entered without any hesitation, "ready," he finished with a sigh, not looking forward to her reaction at all.

"Elena," Damon said breathlessly, relief evident in his voice as he came face-to-face with her. She was reclining on the bed, her face extremely pale as she tore her eyes from the windows to meet his. For a moment, all she did was to just stare at him and blinked in surprise as if he was the last person she expected to see. Just as he made his way nearer to her, she visibly shrank away, her eyes filled with pain and then denial as she shook her head slowly.

"Don't," she whispered brokenly. It wasn't her spoken word that stopped him in his tracks with his arms outstretched towards her, but it was the expression on her face. He had never seen so much hurt and disappointment in a person's face, and the fact that it was directed at _him_, it almost sent him to his knees.

"Elena," he whispered gently again even as his eyes filled with unshed tears to see her tortured expression, and then he took another hesitant step towards her, all the while wishing and hoping that he could take her pain away somehow. His sorrow turned to alarm when she edged to the other side of her bed, desperate to get away from him and from his glistening eyes. And then without thinking, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and managed to put even more distance between them before her weak legs gave way under her, sending her sprawling to the floor.

"Elena! Why are you-" he started to exclaim in a panicky voice as he hurried over to her, ignoring his instincts to give her the space she obviously needed from him, but his thoughts were only filled with wanting to get to her.

"Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" she screamed suddenly when his arms wrapped around hers, shocking him and even Kol who was observing silently from the doorway. One would think that she was under attack by the fear in her voice rather than simply being touched by her own husband.

"Hey, hey, I'm only trying to help you, Elena," his voice was soft and soothing as he held his hands up in a 'surrender' position even though he was confused as hell at her reaction. "What can I do? Please tell me, what can I do to make you feel better?"

"Jenna," she answered immediately even as she slid back into a corner near the windows, putting at least two feet of space between them again.

"Sweetheart, you shouldn't be on the floor. At least let me carry you up to the bed first before I go get Jenna for you," he said kindly from a crouching position, this time not daring to go any closer to her without her consent. He didn't understand why she was afraid of him or why she's turning him away, but if time was what she needed to heal, then he'd give it to her, even if it was killing him every second she wasn't in his arms.

"No! Just Jenna," she whimpered from the corner, looking like a wounded animal that refused help from someone it didn't trust or know.

"I'm here, 'Lena," Jenna's soft voice came from beside Kol who had gone to summon her when Damon failed to calm his patient down. Elena's reaction wasn't surprising or even unexpected, but to people who cared about her, it could be downright confusing and insulting.

The relief in her eyes was obvious to Damon who kept his eyes on her the whole time, and he didn't miss the way she immediately raised her arms up to her aunt who gathered her in her comforting embrace, her small frame shaking like a leaf. "It's okay, honey, it's gonna be okay. I'll stay here with you," Jenna cooed comfortingly into Elena's hair as tears coursed down her cheeks, her watery eyes gazing into the helplessness of Damon's.

"Damon," Kol cleared his throat softly and gestured for the heartbroken man to join him in the corridor. Left with no option, he cautiously stood up and walked over to the doctor, his gaze never once wavered from the two women who sought comfort from each other's arms. He felt like an outsider as he watched them, as if he was peeking into a very private moment that he had no right to be a part of. He had no explanation for it other than the fact that Elena was upset with him for the loss of their daughter for some reason. And that hurt.

"Damon, what happened wasn't anybody's fault. This isn't something I haven't seen before; in fact it's quite common for women who just suffered from a miscarriage. It'll take time before she's able to open up to you again. Right now, she's extremely vulnerable and she probably blamed herself for what happened. It's known as 'survivor's guilt', like in an accident where the driver survived but the rest of the passengers or family died. She's feeling guilty that she couldn't protect the baby and that she lived when the baby didn't. She's also still in shock over everything and these feelings aren't helping her cope. What happened was very traumatic for her and for her body, and while the body will heal in time, the emotional scars might not," Kol explained in a sympathetic tone. "What she needs now is to have the people she loves and trusts around her, but not to force her to talk about it until she's ready. It's important that she's given plenty of space and not to be stressed out. You should know that she hasn't even let herself cry yet, not since she woke up," he sighed wearily as he turned back to look at his patient who was still on the floor.

"Why won't she let me near her? I love her, but why won't she trust me? Does she-does she blame me? Because it's true, I _shouldn't_ have left her alone. I knew that she wasn't completely healed yet, and I _still_ went ahead to meet my father. She's right to blame me," Damon's troubled blue eyes were racked with guilt as he stared unblinking into the room.

"There's no blame in this, Damon. And stop tormenting yourself with what _could've_ happened. Miscarriages are tricky. Trust me, she'll feel even worse if she knows you're blaming yourself. She probably couldn't face you because she thinks she's failed you, you understand? Look, just let Aunt Jenna take care of her tonight, tomorrow will be a whole new day," the young doctor laid a comforting hand on the back of a very stiff shoulder, and then with another sigh, left Damon standing there in the corridor.

Back in the hospital room, Jenna was struggling to comfort the trembling teenager in her arms, "Shhh, 'Lena, come on, let's go up on the bed. You really shouldn't be sitting on the floor. You just went through a huge ordeal tonight, and you should be resting comfortably and make sure that your body heals, right? I'll go get Damon to carry you to the bed, honey, okay?"

As she made a move to get up, Elena's arms immediately tightened around her, keeping her trapped on the floor. "No! I can't, Jenna. I don't want him in here. I don't even wanna look at him, I-I just can't. Please don't make me," Elena pled desperately, fearing that she'd break down completely if she even let herself think about the implications of the signed divorce papers. Whatever his reason may be for having those documents, she wasn't ready to confront him about them yet, not now when she was trying to hold herself together and not shatter to pieces.

Across the room, standing unnoticed in the doorway, Damon gasped when he felt the earlier choking sensations in his chest and throat as he struggled to breathe. Hearing his wife's words tore him apart from within until he couldn't hear anything else except for the sound of his heart breaking into irreparable pieces. He took faltered steps backwards as he squeezed his eyes shut, letting the tears cascade down unchecked until his back met the wall behind him. He didn't know what else he could to help her other than to give her what she asked for. She didn't want him there, so he ran.

And ran.

* * *

><p><em><span>(The next morning) <span>_

Elena sensed rather than saw a presence in the room with her as she slowly shook off the haziness from her sleep. She had to be sedated to finally be relaxed enough for the nurses to move her to the bed, after which she then promptly fell asleep cradled next to her aunt. The sedatives allowed her to have the uninterrupted sleep she needed for a full night's rest, giving an opportunity for her aunt to sneak out to go home to pack some clothes and necessities for an extended stay at the hospital with her.

For some reason, the presence in the room troubled her still groggy mind, and that forced her to open her eyes wide enough to see who it was. Right away, she wished that she had stayed asleep.

"What are you doing here?" she managed to croak out despite how dry her throat felt.

The man who was seated on an armchair a few feet from her bed stood up and peered at her curiously. "Amazing. I don't know how you always managed to survived when others didn't," he shook his head slowly.

"What? Where's Jenna?" she asked, her eyes searching every corner of the room in search of her aunt, but she was nowhere in sight so she returned her gaze at the man she never expected to see again; her real father.

"She went home to get some things," was all he said as he continued scrutinizing her as if she was an enigma that he couldn't quite figure out.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated again, realizing that he never answered her question earlier.

"I'm the only parent you have left, Elena. Jenna called me when she thought you were dying," he answered casually, oblivious to the pain in her eyes when she heard the word 'dying'.

"Well, I'm _not_ dead, so you can go," she tried to dismiss him but oddly enough, he still stood there motionless as if he had something more to say. Well, whatever it was, she wasn't interested to hear it so she turned her head to the windows, intending to ignore him until he got the message and left. But he surprised her by sitting on the bed next to her instead.

"Elena," he started and then paused as if to change his mind, before he surged onwards anyway, "you're gonna have to stop this. Whatever it is you're doing, just stop it. Too many innocent people have been hurt already, so the sooner you stop, the better off these people would be."

"What?" she asked in confusion; he wasn't making any sense. Stop what? Who were these 'people' he was referring to? "What people?"

"The people around you! The people who loves you! Jenna, Jeremy, Damon, your friends! If you care about them at all, you need to stay away from them," he declared cryptically, but Elena could see that he meant every word even though she didn't understand any of it.

"What are you talking about? What do they have to do with anything?"

"I'm talking about the fact that you're _cursed_. People around you die, Elena. From the moment you were born, you have brought _nothing_ but death and destruction to those around you. It started with your mother who died giving birth to you, then Grayson and Miranda in that car crash that you _somehow_ survived, and now this; your own baby. Why do _you_ get to be the only one who always survived when _they_ ended up dead? It's not just the deaths around you; people around you suffer as well. All my business ventures failed, my investments went bad, and I was almost declared bankrupt except that your father lent me some money to pay off some debts and kept me afloat. Jeremy lost _his_ parents, Jenna lost her sister, and now that guy you married lost his baby as well. It all started the moment you were born nineteen years ago! Now, tell me you're not cursed!" he bit out angrily as he glared at her accusingly.

For a long while, the shocked girl could do nothing but stare up at him through tear-filled eyes, her mind racing with his accusations and then her face crumpled when she realized that he was right; she didn't know about her birth mother but everything else was true. When he laid it out like that, it made perfect sense! And that was when the guilt piled on like she was being hit by a freight train on full speed. The choices she had made starting with the party she insisted to attend because all her 'friends' were going; it was the fateful night that resulted in her parents' death. They weren't even her real parents – they were Jeremy's. And she'd been selfish by not realizing that she wasn't the only one who had lost them; Jenna and Jeremy also lost them, due to her selfishness of insisting to go to a stupid party.

And then there was...Damon. It physically hurt her to think about him now when his betrayal regarding the divorce was so recent, but it was true that due to her inability to protect her own pregnancy, he had lost a daughter. He had also been fighting with his father more and more ever since she came into his life. If she wasn't so stupid enough to get pregnant, or even walk into a random bar for some underage drinking in the first place, he would have married Katherine and lived his father's dreams. He may not have loved his ex, or maybe he _had_, but at least he wouldn't have had to mourn the death of his child now. Again, _her_ choices, _her_ decisions led him here. Then she allowed herself to think about the woman who gave birth to her and died doing so. She was never told how her real mother died, or who she was.

"My birth mother, h-how did she die?" she asked shakily as the revelations descended into her mind.

"She developed a complication when she gave birth to you and she lost too much blood. The doctors couldn't save her and she died, right there on the operating table just minutes after you were born. And now, nineteen years later, you suffered the same fate, except that the baby died and you survived. I call it a cruel twist of fate or you have some sort of angel looking out for you. I loved her, God damnit! I was going to marry her. It should've been _you_ who died that night, not Isobel. Then I'd _still_ have my wife and brother around; I'd still have my family!" John cried out bitterly, his hurt and anger washed over her, rendering her speechless as she realized that he had never considered _her_ as family despite knowing that he was her real father all these years. No wonder he hated her so much. She didn't blame him, not even one bit.

"I wanted to tell you this because I thought you should know. I just can't watch anyone else suffer because of you anymore. Whether you believe me or not is up to you but the fact is, you've watched your parents die, you've witnessed young Jeremy lost both his parents just like that, and not only did Jenna lose her only sister, she's also burdened with the task of raising two teenagers, one of them even pregnant with an unwanted child before the miscarriage happened. Now, I would say that you got lucky with the miscarriage; you're no longer obligated to stay with Damon Salvatore. He doesn't owe you anything anymore because you're no longer expecting a child. And now I'm your only remaining parent and I have control over your father's finances," he paused and looked down at her, taking in her confused state as she wondered where he was going with this.

"Yes, you made it clear that you weren't going to spend a single cent on me. You also made sure that I didn't even have a roof over my head when you kicked me out of my own home," she replied in a stronger voice. She didn't need to remember the argument they had in the study room of the Salvatore mansion months ago when he threatened to cut her off completely. She recalled very clearly that he wanted to make money off of _her_ misfortune.

"Well, consider this a change of heart, then. Okay, this is what I'm willing to give you if you follow my instructions..." and then Elena had no choice but to listen to what he had to offer.

* * *

><p>(<em>The following night<em>)

"Okay, Damon, that's enough! You're going to make yourself sick if you keep going at that rate," Stefan tried to pry the half-empty bottle of bourbon from his fingers but the elder Salvatore craftily managed to evade him as he stumbled along the darkness.

"Then isn't it convenient that we're right outside a freaking hospital right now? You won't even have to _drive_ me to the emergency department, I could walk right in! I won't even drink and drive! Now, isn't that considerate of me? See, Stef? I drink responsibably! Responsibility! No, that's not right! Responsababy! Hahaha, get it Stef? Responsababy; response-a-baby! See what I did there? I'm a word-smith even when drunk! I have a brain somewhere in here," Damon nodded with heavy-lidded eyes as he swayed on his feet and then raised the mouth of the bottle to tap the side of his head with before wincing with pain at the impact. "Ouch!"

"Look at you; you can't even stand up straight! I know you're hurting, but you have to pull it together and be strong! If not for yourself, then for Elena who needs you to be sober and there for her," Stefan reminded him by mentioning the _one_ name who could possibly get through to the alcohol-induced brain of his brother's right then. It backfired.

"Hah!" Damon snorted and took a long swig of the drink. "She _doesn't_ need me; I heard her! She doesn't even want me in the room. So, I gave her what she wanted which is a hospital room sans me! I should be commended for giving her what she wants! I'll _always_ give her what she wants even when I don't always agree. In fact, I paid a lot of money to give her what she wants; and right on cue, _there's_ the man of the hour!" he swayed his way over towards the automatic doors of the hospital entrance with his arms wide open to embrace the man he was referring to.

"Jer bear! Come here, you! We were just talking about you, weren't we Stef? Do you know that _you're_ my favourite Gilbert right now?" he wrapped his arms around the young man in a bear hug, ignoring the curious gazes of onlookers who were captivated by their exchange.

"Yes, yes, you already told me that," Jeremy tried to remove the pair of strong arms around his waist as he shot a quizzical look at Stefan who just shrugged and then shook his head as if to say, 'Don't even ask'.

"I did? Oh, well now you know...again. So, any updates on the pouty princess upstairs? I didn't fly you home in first class to have a reunion with her, you know? Yeah, okay maybe I did because she needs to be around people she love and trust, and apparently, I'm no longer on that list, but _WHATEVER_!" Damon rolled his eyes as he held both his thumb and forefingers in a vee and joined them by the tips of the thumb together to form a 'W'. "You're like my mole right now, like Katherine was except that you're better looking and you're like some secret agent man," he lowered his voice significantly and looked around as if to avoid them being overheard.

"Okay, but you have to tell me something, Damon. And I'll need the absolute truth from you, agreed?" Jeremy looked completely serious at his brother-in-law who immediately straightened up and raised his right hand next to his head while still holding the uncapped bottle, effectively drenching his younger brother with spilled bourbon. Oblivious to the green-eyed glare, he immediately recited, "I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing _but_ the truth, so help me God!" while still holding the bottle upright.

"Okay, enough with the theatrics," Jeremy sighed as he grabbed the bottle from him. "Did you or did you not intend to divorce my sister at any point?"

"No, sir, I did not! Wait a minute; I already explained all this to your sister ages ago. It was my father's idea, not mine! I love your sister, so why would I divorce her? Is that it? Am I in the clear?" Damon grinned with relief as he reached out a hand to grab the bottle back from Jeremy, but the teenager quickly passed it to Stefan who moved out of his reach.

"If you _didn't_ intend to divorce her, then why did you have a _signed_ copy of divorce documents in your apartment?" Jeremy asked.

Damon immediately paled at the mention of the documents he had completely forgotten about until then. "Oh holy crap! No, no, no, no," he wore a horrified expression as he paced up and down the length of the entrance as the two men watched. He sobered up pretty quickly after that! "How did-when did-who-Katherine! Oh my God, Katherine. It had to be her..." he muttered to himself as he covered his face with his hands, unable to believe the mess he's in because of the whole charade he had to play when he pretended that he was still going to marry his ex.

"So it's _true_? Damon, do you have _any_ idea what you've done? My sister found those papers right before she started bleeding! How are you going to explain this to her?" Jeremy shouted angrily that the documents were in fact real. And they were probably the reason why Elena got upset enough to trigger the bleeding. He wasn't just upset with Damon at that point; he was FURIOUS!

"Wait a minute! Damon, is that true? You had divorce papers drafted and signed them? What the _hell_ were you thinking?" it was Stefan's turn to yell as he yanked his brother's hands away from his face.

"Nobody was supposed to know about it, okay? I completely forgot about it until Jeremy mentioned it just now! It's not even real! The whole thing's fake. I had my lawyers draft up fake divorce papers to fool Katherine into thinking that they're real to get her off my back. She never even knew the difference! You guys know the story about how father, Nathan Pierce and Kat were supposed to think that I was only going to be married to Elena for a year and then after the baby was born, I was supposed to divorce her and marry Kat instead! Well, Kat being herself, didn't trust me that I would go through with it – for good reason, I might add – and she threatened to convince her father to pull out of supporting Salvatore Corporation unless she had some documents to hold over me. This happened just after my engagement to Elena was announced in the papers. She gave me a deadline and then left with no other choice, I faked those documents to shut her up! I don't get it, those documents were with Katherine but how did Elena got to know about it?" Damon wondered out loud as he ran his hands in his already tousled hair in frustration.

Then he remembered. The night his world stopped in its tracks replayed in his mind like a video recording; after he went home from his meeting with his father, he returned to an empty house with blood all over the master bedroom. And then, just as he redialled his phone to reach Caroline, his gaze halted on top of the bed, with the box full of envelopes and papers, and then he remembered the neat stack of papers that were left beside the box as if someone had sorted through it. But it was the box that attracted his attention in the first place that night; it was the box he had kept all those years in his apartment because they used to contain his prized trophies and memorabilia from college. It was the box he had used as soon as he was old enough to move out of the mansion and away from his father. That box signified a momentous occasion for him as he gained independence away from his father as a teenager. And _that_ box was now in his house, on his bed the night Elena almost bled to death.

"Katherine went to see Elena that night. I'm sure of it!" he finally deduced as he put together all the pieces. And then he doubled over from the ache in his chest as he realised that even though the documents were fake, Elena had found them and they became real in her eyes. She was probably sitting on the bed that night as she read the document, believing every word on it and thinking that he never wanted her, or worse; that he'd go through with the divorce after their daughter was born anyway. She probably sat there bleeding all over thinking that he never loved her and that it was all an act on his part. And after all that, she suffered from a miscarriage and almost died herself only to wake up alive to find out that she had lost the baby and the husband she thought she had forever. No wonder she didn't want him to go anywhere near her! No wonder he wasn't allowed to touch her!

He stared at his brother and his brother-in-law for a moment and then he made up his mind. He spun around and then hastily walked towards his car, not worried about crashing his car at all as all traces of alcohol had already evaporated along with his clear head. He had _one_ thought and one thought only.

"Wait, where are you going?" Jeremy called out in alarm.

"To kill Katherine Pierce!" came the sinister reply.

Both Stefan and Jeremy stared at each other in horror.

* * *

><p><strong>A thousand apologies! I know I said at the end of the last chapter that I would divulge the identity of the third culprit in this chapter. But this chapter ran so long and at this point of the story, I'm only about halfway to the point I originally wanted to end at, so I figured I should split them in two before I rambled on again and end up with a 10,000 words chapter – again! I wanted to continue to present day, and what happened after the funeral when Damon and Elena finally come face-to-face. <strong>

**Okay, I promise - no, I pinky-swear that I will address those issues in the next one. This chapter kicked my ass even more than the last one for some reason. But again, I enjoyed writing drunk Damon. **

**Take this chapter as the filler chapter or plot-heavy chapter or whatever you wanna call it. I think a lot happened in this one; well, it certainly explained Elena's attitude towards Damon at the funeral. No tears in this chapter though, right? RIGHT? Guys? **

**Like it, love it, hate it, don't much care for it: just review for the heck of it! **

**My twitter: cgsa_cher**


	37. Chapter 37

**I swear on my life that my reviewers are the NICEST people on earth! You guys are just so supportive and amazing! For the first time in my life, I have decided to have my most loved/appreciated beta, This Is My Escape aka Kate, to go over this chapter. I'm so excited! Thanks so much, Kate! **

**Thank you all for helping me to hit the 1000th number of reviews mark! If I could, I would hug each and every one of you to show my appreciation. This story has given me so much joy to write and also to share with you. If you like this story and decided to put it on alert or favourite it, then please spend some time to review it. It'll mean a lot to me to know if you've enjoyed it. **

**DISCLAIMER: The author (that's me!) does not condone killing off people (on purpose) no matter how evil they may be. Therefore, I'm surprised and tickled by the number of comments for Damon to commit murder on Katherine. Let me tell you right here: I will not have Damon reduced to being a common criminal even if he had the right motivations to do it. He's too pretty to be stuck in jail; he also shouldn't bend down while showering. So, for the sake of Damon's peace of mind when showering, he's not killing anyone.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 37: Aftermath <strong>

_(continuation of the previous chapter – flashback to 4 days before the funeral)_

"Wait, where are you going?" Jeremy called out in alarm, taking a few steps towards his retreating brother-in-law.

"To kill Katherine Pierce!" came the sinister reply.

Both Stefan and Jeremy stared at each other in horror before finally coming to the same conclusion at precisely the same time; Jeremy would stay back with Elena while Stefan went after his brother to stop him from committing a crime he would probably regret after all was said and done.

"Wait, Damon! I'll come with you," Stefan called out as he ran to catch up with his impulsive and perhaps slightly insane brother suffering through a massive amount of grief.

"Yeah, great idea. You hold her down while I tear her apart!" Damon bit out angrily as he got into his car and started the engine. Peeling out of the hospital grounds as soon as Stefan settled in next to him, after just _barely_ slamming the door shut behind him, they made their way to the woman who'd cause so much pain and loss.

"Whoa, slow _down_, brother! You're not _actually_ planning on killing her, are you?" the younger Salvatore voiced out as he hastily clipped on his seatbelt.

"Yup, I've had about enough of that bitch! She ruined my life, as well as Elena's! Katherine's a cold-hearted snake who deserves to rot in hell for killing an innocent life. Stefan, she killed Little Purple! Now, I'm just returning the favor," Damon sped up even more as he made his way to his old apartment.

"And what are you going to kill her with, Damon? Your penetrating pretty blue eyes? Are you going to _blink_ her to death? You don't even have a weapon!" Stefan pointed out as he gripped the side handle above his side of the door, struggling to stay in his seat while his brother, the maniacal driver, took a sharp turn at a junction. They were almost at the apartment by now; he was running out of time and ideas to distract his brother from the obvious anger he was feeling.

"Who needs a weapon when I can tear her to pieces with my bare hands?" the reply was made with a dangerous and menacing tone. Hatred was looming behind every word, and it seemed to Stefan that at _that_ moment, his brother was perfectly capable of committing the crime he was speaking of. It was probably his way of coping with his frustrations at being helpless about Elena. Speaking of...

"And what's going to happen to Elena when you're locked up in prison for the rest of your life, huh? Remember her? Not only did she lose the baby, you're actually going to leave her alone while you're spending the rest of your life behind bars? Or _maybe_ you don't think that she's suffered enough, is that it? Damon, she's a nineteen year-old girl who lost her parents, got pregnant and then got married to the father of her child. She fell in love, lost a baby, and now she's about to lose her husband on top of it because he can't control his emotions!"

When his brother didn't respond, Stefan felt like his last resort was a wasted effort. Letting out a long, defeated breath, he said quietly. "Wow. Way to go, Damon. Your wife's story might be a best-seller someday; it's _that_ tragic," he shook his head sadly at his own summary of the situation. It really _was_ tragic.

"Then, please, enlighten me, brother. What would _you_ have me do, hmm? Tell me, if you were in my shoes, what would _you_ do when you know that a woman you hate more than life itself caused you to lose _everything_ you've ever wanted in life? I'd be willing to bet that you're not going to sit down in a Starbucks with her and reminisce about the time when she caused your wife to have a full-blown haemorrhage! Oh, remember the time when I sabotaged your career and made your wife miscarry?" Damon imitated Katherine's husky and teasing tone of voice to perfection as he pulled up to a curb in front of his old apartment building.

Without another word, he killed the engine and got out of the car, leaving Stefan scrambling to keep up. They both made their way inside the building and soon, they were standing in front of the front door to Damon's unit, the doorbell ringing incessantly as Damon kept pressing on the buzzer. After a moment, it became clear that there was nobody home.

"Why is it when you decide to kill someone, they're never home?" he exclaimed with a frustrated sigh.

"I don't know the answer to that, seeing as I've never commited murder before, but hey, maybe this is a good thing. We should go back to the hospital and see how Elena's doing," Stefan answered hopefully, grabbing Damon's arm, hoping and wondering if that was all it took to stop his brother's insane spur-of-the-moment decision; the fact that the intended victim wasn't home.

"No, I can't stand being there and not being able to see her. It's obvious she doesn't want me around, I can't just _wait_ around for her to forgive me; I'll go mad if I don't do something, Stefan." And with that, Damon made his way back to his car with a flabbergasted Stefan trailing close behind him, wondering what he was up to now.

"There's nothing to forgive, Damon. What happened was _not_ your fault! First degree murder, on the other hand..." Stefan trailed off as he got in the car again, sliding a worried sideways glance at his brother who seemed to be heading to the other side of town, away from the hospital. Damon was clearly trapped in his own head, so he sat there silently as his brother drove around from one house to the next until he finally spotted a familiar car parked on the driveway of a massive house located in an exclusive country club.

Without even bothering to turn off the engine this time around, Damon flew out of the seat in his haste to get his hands on the woman who had managed to evade him for hours so far. His temper flared as soon as her face appeared through the glass of the front doors, peering at him with a puzzled frown as soon as she took in the crazed look in his eyes.

"Damon, what are you-" she started to ask when she opened the door open a few inches, but the gap was all Damon needed and he kicked the door hard enough to cause a dent on the surface, sending her stumbling backwards in fright.

"What did you _do_, Katherine?" he screamed. "What the fuck did you do? What did you say to her?" He was practically snarling as he stalked her deeper into the house, trapping her into a corner with a murderous expression that sent chills down her spine. For as long as she'd known him, he had never displayed such anger or resentment in her direction; not even when he discovered her in bed with Mason Lockwood.

"W-what happened? ?" she stammered helplessly. "I _just_ talked to her, Damon, she was fine. I apologized for what happened at your house and then I dropped off a box of your stuff and then I left," she rambled, her words nearly blending together in confusion and terror. "She was _fine_ when I left her!" she glanced nervously at Stefan who just came in through the doors to plant himself next to him.

"Well, she's _not_ fine, Kat! I went home to an empty house with a bed full of blood-soaked sheets and a pool of blood on the floor! We lost the baby."

Katherine shook her head in denial, horrified at hearing the news. Eyes welling with tears, she opened her mouth to speak but her ex cut her off.

"And I almost lost Elena in the process! She's now in the hospital, hating my guts and it's all because of the stupid divorce documents that _you_ gave to her!" he yelled in an accusing tone, his eyes blazing with all the hurt and rage he'd been feeling the past few days. Now that the true villain was in front of him, he didn't want to waste the opportunity to give her the verbal trashing that she deserved, and more.

"I didn't give her any-oh my God!" she explained, clamping a hand over her forehead, his words finally making sense. "The box...there were letters and documents in there! I didn't do it on purpose, Damon! I would never...oh God, the baby! I already felt guilty enough about the accident last week, but now the baby...I'm so, _so_ sorry, Damon."

To the brothers' surprise, she started sobbing uncontrollably, burying her face in her hands as guilt racked through her; she may not have cared about Elena or about the temporary truce between them, but she certainly cared that an innocent baby was harmed whether directly or indirectly caused by her. The thoughts of Elena losing her child brought back painful memories of the emotions she felt when she was told that she wasn't able to conceive after having an abortion.

Damon and Stefan exchanged a quick, puzzled look when they saw how distraught she was by the news. Doing so quickly and effectively dampened Damon's eagerness at making her suffer by his own hands. His pity only enraged him more, wishing that she'd been her typically conniving, horrid self. It would be better than feeling like he's kicking someone when they were already down. Her evident anguish totally ruined his mood to rearrange her face. Damn the bitch!

Katherine was quick to cry, "I-I-I never meant to hurt anyone, I swear! Elena - she didn't deserve to have that happened to her, not like that. No one deserves to hurt like that, Damon. I-I'll help you, okay?With Mason and the whole thing, I'll help with it all. I just...I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry," she shook her head dejectedly as her entire body shook with sobs.

It was the first time Damon had seen her react with compassion for someone else, and genuinely so. Hell, it was the first time he'd seen her _cry_ and it disturbed him that his _own_ compassion made him almost want to reach out to give her a reassuring pat on the back until he remembered what a bitch she'd been to Elena before.

He remembered his and Elena's wedding night and the stupid black dildo wedding gift... not to mention the reason those fake divorce papers existed in the first place.

No, Katherine Pierce did _not_ deserve compassion, nor did she deserve anymore of his time.

"Just...stay away from Elena, please. She doesn't deserve any_thing_ you've done to her; she doesn't deserve the things _I've_ done to her! But I love her and she's always been the one for me, Kat. I'll tell you right now; I never wanted to leave her for you, not ever. I fell in love with her the second I met her." He started to back away from the shaken woman, and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "The divorce papers were fake. I only led you to believe that I'd come back to you for my _father's_ sake. The truth is...I was never yours to begin with. It's always been Elena. I love my wife and she's all I'll ever want, so..please. I'm so damn tired of your games and your efforts to tear us apart because they just won't _work_. Just stay away from her or else I'll get a restraining order against you," he warned, but all the previous resentment and spite were drained from his voice, his shoulders now slumped in defeat as he turned on his heel. Before he left, with his hand on the latch and one foot out the door he said, "I never wanted to hurt you, but you've hurt us and I'm done." With that, he closed the door, his brother right behind him, and went back to the car.

"I've gotta tell you, Damon. That was…that was awesome. I'm proud of you, brother," Stefan gripped Damon's shoulder and gave it a firm, reassuring squeeze as he said, "I know how hard it must have been for you to see her again after all she's done...Elena would be proud of you, too," he said softly with relief.

Gritting his teeth to the point he felt they might shatter, Damon choked out, "I couldn't do it to Elena, Stef. I couldn't leave her alone after losing the baby and coming _so_ close to death herself. I should be at her side, supporting her and instead I was contemplating the pros and cons of eighty-sixing Katherine Pierce. I owe her _that_ much, at least. It's not in me to kill someone, but I _do_ wish Katherine would suffer a horrible death or at the very least, break her neck or something... something equally as painful," he admitted with a weary sigh.

"Spoken like a true Salvatore, brother," Stefan nodded in approval.

* * *

><p>(<em>Present day – after the funeral<em>) ****A/N:** **ARE YOU CONFUSED YET?**

Left reeling from the revelation of the identity of the third party involved in his company's case, Damon trailed behind Detective Fielding into the police station. He was honestly in a daze. The detective had stopped by the church after baby Elizabeth's funeral to disclose the name of the man who had collaborated with Katherine and Mason in an attempt to ruin the Salvatore's corporation.

And so, Damon was left with an overwhelming amount of unanswered questions, questions that he was now on the way to get some answers to.

"Mr. Salvatore, you have ten minutes with him. After that, he goes right back to his cell until someone posts bail for him, alright?" the detective asked as they stopped in front of a half-glassed door.

Damon nodded, signalling his understanding and then asked, "What about Lockwood?"

"That bastard was granted bail last night because he appealed to a judge who knows his father. It's all about connections in this place, and between you and me, the Chief of Department doesn't agree to bail because of his _influence_; he's likely to obstruct justice by destroying evidence or tamper with the witness just because he _can_. It's wrong, but because of his reputation and extensive reach, we had no choice _but_ to allow bail. However, bear in mind that we have eyes and ears on him at _all_ times, so if he tried to pull any moves, we would know," Detective Fielding clarified in a low voice, looking around him for fear of being overheard. Apparently, he wasn't a very trusting person when it came to high-profile criminals.

"Detective, would you also make sure to include Katherine Pierce under your surveillance? Well, she being our only witness, and like you said, Lockwood has extensive reach not to mention the means..." Damon left the last part unsaid, but his insinuation was crystal clear to the astute man beside him.

"Done," was all Detective Fielding said before he gestured towards the closed door labelled as 'Interrogation Room'.

Turning his attention to the door, Damon inhaled deeply before he stepped inside the room to face the unexpected accomplice of Katherine and Mason.

"I should've known it'd be you to walk through that door when they put me in here. If I'm a betting man, and I've gotta say, I like taking my chances…I'd say you're _not_ here to post bail." As a cruel grin spread over his face, the man raised an eyebrow and asked, "_A__m_ I wrong?" He then leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms as he regarded him.

Damon pursed his lips indignantly into a tight, white line as he stood there with his blue eyes scrutinizing the man seated on the other side of the table. Without bothering to respond, he made a show out of unbuttoning his coat and then taking a seat on the opposite chair, pausing to cross his leg before he leaned forward to utter a single word. "Why?"

"_Why_?" the man scoffed in disbelief. "Why didn't I expect you to post bail or why did I collaborate with Lockwood to steal your projects under your nose?" he asked sarcastically, snickering after seeing Damon's jaw clench.

"You're _that_ arrogant that you're not even denying it? Are you as stupid as you look or do you actually and naively believe that you'll be protected by Lockwood?"

"If I had to choose between Team Salvatore and Team Lockwood, I'd stick with Lockwood. No offense, you know, with your being my 'son-in-law' and everything," John Gilbert lifted his fingers in an air-quote gesture and then returned to his previous position.

"You seem awfully confident, John, for a man who spent the night in a jail cell when Lockwood posted bail, and yet here you are, still foolish enough to fucking smirk at me," Damon tilted his head to the side as if he was trying to figure out the man in front of him. "You _do_ know that we already have sufficient evidence against Lockwood and Katherine, don't you? In fact, we even have an audio recording of a self-admission explaining their involvement." He paused to let his words sink in before continuing with, "Lockwood's going down, John. And when he _does_, he'll drag everyone involved down with him, including you and Katherine. So, why don't you just do yourself a favour and start talking? Let's start with the _why_, although I can safely guess that it was for two things; revenge and money," he leaned forward in his chair as he spoke, pinning John with his penetrating blue eyes. _"Am I wrong?"_ he quipped darkly, repeating the exact words his father-in-law had spewed a few minutes before.

"This has nothing to do with money; in fact, I didn't make a single cent out of it!" John insisted defensively.

"_Really_?"he questioned incredulously. "Your bank account in Zurich says otherwise. Unless you just _coincidently_ happen to have over ten _million_ US Dollars deposited into your account a week after the tenders were awarded?"

This time it was Damon who lifted an eyebrow in a challenge as he watched John paled at the mention of the foreign bank account that he wasn't supposed to know about. Thank goodness for Damon's investigators' quick work after his call to them earlier.

"I _told_ you I was going to get back at you and your snobbish little family if you made an enemy out of me after knocking my daughter up and then _refusing_ to pay me a single cent for what you did! And then you had the nerve to embarrass me by kicking me out of my own daughter's wedding! What did you think I would do then, Damon?" John snapped. "You're damn right! I went to _Lockwood_ because I knew that he'd agree to anything to ruin the Salvatore empire! Anybody out on the street can tell you that much! It wasn't long after that I could _finally_ play my part in making sure that you lost most of your contracts to Lockwood," he said through gritted teeth as he glared at him. The jig was up; might as well lay all his contempt out in the open.

"How did you manage that, by the way? I handled the entire tender documents myself until I took a leave of absence for my honeymoon, during which I passed them over to only _one_ person in the company. Is Nicholas Mikaelson involved in this as well?" he asked in a moment of genuine curiosity.

That was the only thing that Damon couldn't quite work out in his head. It would make perfect sense if Nicholas was the culprit since he had access to the documents. Perhaps that was why he didn't even suspect John in the first place. The guy didn't have access, hadn't been seen in the building before and there was no other way he could get his hands on the documents.

"That ass-hat of a man your father calls _MD_? Please! He's too straightforward of a guy to be useful. Sometimes, the most obvious way in is the most simple one; ergo, bribe the dispatcher," the elder Gilbert shrugged casually as he leaned back in his chair, his cocky smile right back on his face, looking mighty please with himself for his ingenuity. Even Damon had to admit, he was impressed.

"Smart," the raven-haired man nodded in agreement. "Instead of trying to infiltrate from the inside, you just...intercepted the documents when it's on the way to the drop-off. Easy enough. And I'm guessing that the latest one failed because the dispatcher was hired by _me_ and he wasn't even going _to_ the drop-off; it was _me_ that personally handled the delivery that time - hence, success for the Salvatores," Damon accurately summarized, his own smirk now proudly in place.

In a way, he felt relieved that Nicholas wasn't involved in the whole thing for the sake of his new friend, Elijah. He wouldn't have known how to break the news to him if it turned out his brother was in fact, the culprit. He was happy to be wrong this time around.

"Yes, but that's all water under the bridge now, isn't it? I _finally_ got my revenge and _if_ indicted, in a couple of years, I'll be out of prison anyway. But _you_, Damon. Remember when I told you that you'd lose everything? Let me refresh your memory. It was at night, we were right outside a bar, we had a _very_ pleasant conversation about Elena's birthday...ring any bells? No?" John chuckled, and snapped his finger as if he finally understood the lost expression on Damon's face. "Oh that's right, I'd just swung a bat at your head so maybe the entire night's a little hazy. Well, I said that death and destruction followed Elena. And guess what? I was right. Surprise, surprise! But you'd know that already, wouldn't you? I mean, you _did_ just come from a funeral, didn't you? You've lost your baby, your company just lost a lot of fucking money, you may or may not have lost your father's trust, and soon, you'll lose your _wife_ as well. I'll tell you again what I told her; she's _cursed_. Everyone around her either dies or suffers and now you know that better than anybody," John sighed dramatically as if he was feeling sorry for him, except that his ever-present smirk spoiled that effect. "You should hope that she leaves you."

But it wasn't his smirk that sent Damon to his feet, knocking the chair off its legs, sending it tumbling away from him. It was his words. "You talked to Elena? When?" he growled in fury.

"At the hospital. And the fact that you were not around her twenty-four seven meant that you're already halfway there - to losing her, I mean. That just proves that I was right," John gloated and then winced when Damon launched himself over the table to land a punch on his face, his jaw now aching as his lips split open.

The door burst open and then Detective Fielding and a couple of officers ran into the room to subdue the furious Damon who struggled against the restraints as he shouted, "You bastard! How _dare_ you tell your own daughter something like that! You're a monster! You're not fit to even breathe the same air as her! I'll sue you for fraud and attempted murder for choking Elena the last time you were at the mansion! I'll make sure that you rot in hell so that the earth can be rid of you, you piece of shit!"

"That's enough, Mr. Salvatore! Your ten minutes is up! Please escort Mr. Salvatore to his car and make sure he leaves the compound," the detective instructed the officers who held the enraged man back. They nodded and forcibly dragged him out of the station.

A minute later, Damon found himself in his car, panting with anger at the thought of that foul man being in the same room as Elena, leaving her vulnerable to his devastating words.

When did John even _have_ the opportunity to sneak into her hospital room, undetected, when Jenna and the other girls were supposedly with her the whole time? He was literally trembling with wrath that John had even spoken to her about his outrageous beliefs that she was cursed and that she brought death and destruction to everyone around her. It was heartbreaking to think that she was subject to the filth that must have sprouted from his mouth.

At the sound of a couple of impatient knocks on his window, he turned to see the officers waving him away as they waited for him to go on his way. Reluctantly, he got a grip over himself and reined in his temper in as he put the car in gear and exited the car park. He didn't know where he was headed to next. _However,_ feeling his pocket buzz, he pulled out his phone and there was the answer to that question. It was from Jeremy.

**Jeremy Gilbert**_: Go home. She's there now. Thank me later. _

Thank God, Jeremy had finally came through for him. Damon owed his brother-in-law a huge favour. His heart lightened up considerably at the prospect of seeing his wife again after a week apart, and it was the longest week of his life. With a racing heart, he headed towards the house that had been a happy home right up until the night everything fell apart.

* * *

><p>Damon could tell that the air was different the moment he stepped into the house. It was heavier somehow, like some kind of pressure that would set off a ticking bomb at any moment. Tension...the tension was unbelievable. It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all. In the week that Elena had been in the hospital, he'd returned home only once, and that was to get cleaners in to clean up the bloody mess in the master bedroom. Besides the cleaning crew, he couldn't bring himself to return to the house without Elena; the sickening memories of seeing all the blood on the floor and on the sheets were traumatising enough for him. He couldn't help but wonder how she felt coming back here.<p>

Without bothering to check downstairs first, he hurried up the stairs and ignored the feeling of dread as he passed the spot where she had laid on the floor, unmoving and unconscious after hitting her head on the wall after the fall. The visual memory appeared in his mind at that moment, and he hastily pushed the image aside. Now was not the time to dwell on the past; they had so much they needed to work through.

He felt, rather than saw her as he passed the landing upstairs. Just as he suspected, there she was. Standing motionless in the nursery room, leaning over the assembled Corsican Cow-Jumped-Over-the-Moon Rocking Cradle, her back was towards him as he walked in silently through the open door. He fought the impulse to go to her as soon as he saw her, knowing that she needed space to deal with whatever it was she came home to deal with. So, he just watched her, still unnoticed as he leaned back against the wall next to the door.

Suddenly, she stiffened as if she sensed another presence in the room with her. Without turning around, she spoke for the first time in a week, "They told you I was here, didn't they?" Her voice was low and quivering, as if she was trying to stifle back her tears.

"Jeremy did," he replied honestly, still watching her intently. Though the desire was great, he did not move a muscle as he spoke those words.

"So, what are you doing here?" she breathed after a long pause. She must have been mentally cursing her brother for being a tattle-tale.

_I missed you. I want to hug you. I want to kiss you. I want to make everything better again. I'm here to beg for forgiveness. I came to explain myself so that you'd stop hating me._ These thoughts were running across his mind at the same time and then his mouth opened to say the words. "I'm worried about you," he said instead.

"I'm fine. I'm alive, aren't I?" her voice took on a detached, yet bitter tone again and Damon knew that she had her walls up sky high and thick as bricks this time. He took two steps nearer to her and she immediately went rigid, already feeling his closeness.

"Don't do that, Elena. Don't try to hide behind your walls just to keep yourself from feeling. You and I _both_ know that you're _not_ fine. Neither one of us _are_!" his voice sounded even closer now. She could feel the warmth of his body against her skin now, and it burned her.

"Why can't you just let me be?" she cried. "I don't need you to psychoanalyse me right now," Damon could tell that her guard was up, but he was not about to give in, not when he finally had a moment alone with her.

"Elena, I...I need to explain some things to you. The divorce papers, they're not-"

"Don't!" she snapped upon hearing those words, cutting him off. "This is _not_ the time to talk about that."

"Okay, then can we talk about John Gilbert?" When his wife's brow creased, he saw his opportunity and knew this could be his only chance to get her talking.

"What _about_ him?"

"I just came from the police station. He's in custody because _he's_ the one who was working with Katherine and Mason Lockwood! He was behind everything, Elena," he said, hoping that he would get some response that didn't sound like it was spoken by a robot. "It was all him."

"Figures," she finally sighed with angry eyes. "Apparently, it's the story of my life. I cause harm to people around me. People come near me, and they either die or they suffer. I'm like misery personified!" Elena then let out a humourless chuckle as if she was musing over that statement. And just like that, Damon fully understood the damage inflicted by that pathetic excuse for a father.

"That cannot be farther from the truth, Elena. Look at me," he said softly as he finally came near enough to touch her, ignoring her stiff body as he turned her around to face him. His hand under her chin as he tilted her head up to meet his eyes, he finally looked into her brown depths, and was able to see all the emotions that were so desperately fighting to get free, but he could also see her willpower to fight them back, to keep them at bay. She wouldn't allow them to get free. Elena had spent all her energy suppressing every single feeling, every emotion, just so that she wouldn't have to face them. She didn't want to feel that hurt again.

"Whatever John said to you, he was wrong and he's an idiot. What happened to your birth mother was a complication during birth that probably happens to a lot of women in the world. Death during childbirth is not unheard of, you know? As for your parents? Well, people die from a car accident every single day! It's heartbreaking and upsetting, but I can probably get you some statistics on that, too."

He saw her lower lip quiver and knew he had to choose his next words wisely. "And as for Little Purple – Elizabeth, as you've named her – you fell down a flight of stairs because of Katherine. One week later, you had a miscarriage," his own voice was now shaking as he stared down at her, his eyes were imploring her to understand that all that devastation she'd gone through in her life was something that was out of her control, and that she _couldn't_ have prevented it.

"All of these things are the way they are, because they...they just are!" He blinked and then admitted, "Okay, that sounded better and less confusing in my head, but Elena, what I meant to say was that you are _not_ the reason why such things happened in your life. In fact, you've brought nothing but _joy_ into mine and also all our friends' lives by just being yourself. There's nothing cursed or sinister about you at all," he finished softly as his fingers stroked her cheek.

"Don't," she begged with a trembling voice that was so close to breaking completely. "Don't try to make me feel better. I deserve this!" she tore herself away from him as she turned away to grab hold of the cradle, her fists clenched tightly around the white poles. "I _should_ feel like this because I deserve to be _punished_!"

"Well, _do_ you? Do you even _feel_ anything now, Elena? Because Caroline and Jenna told me that you haven't even cried."

Elena's head turned fractionally in his direction and he kept going. She was close. She was so close and Damon knew he just had to press a bit more. "You haven't cried once since you woke up in the hospital. You're supposed to grieve, but you're not allowing yourself to do that," he placed his hands on her shoulder, feeling her body trembling uncontrollably. Good.

"I cried at the funeral," she said defensively.

Damon shook his head. "Elena, that wasn't grieving…well, it was, but you fought it every step of the way, even then. Our unborn baby just _died_, Elena, and you only allowed yourself to shed _some_ tears for her? You're supposed to bawl your eyes out until you can't breathe; you're supposed to shout, and scream at the injustice for an innocent baby girl; you're supposed to lash out in despair because a part of you is gone and she will never come back again! Do you feel _any _of that?" he shook her shoulders roughly as he stepped in front of her to face her again, watching her face start to crumple at his harsh words. "Do you feel anything at all?"

"Stop it, stop it, stop it! I can't listen anymore! Don't make me listen anymore!" she sobbed, her hands covering over her ears childishly to block out his attempts for her to open up, to block out the harsh truth. Damon continued to persevere, even though it hurt like hell to cause her pain. He held her tight against him even as she struggled to escape his vice-like embrace.

He knew that there was a chance that she'd hate him later, but he had to do it. He had to break her in order to fix her. She would never heal otherwise. "Listen to me, Elena! Elizabeth is gone! She's gone! We will _never_ be parents to that little girl and you will never be able to hold her in your arms or wake up in the middle of the night to check if she's hungry or not. We will _never_ get to see her grow up to be the amazing young woman we know she would have been. We will _never_ be over-protective parents, watching her go on her first date with a boy neither of us would deem to be good enough for our little girl. We will _never_ be able to tell her how much we love her and she will _never_ know what cool parents we would have been," his voice softened drastically towards the end as he himself got teary-eyed, his words affecting him as much as they were affecting her.

Falling into him and letting all of her sorrows and agony fall into him, she begged. "Please don't say anymore, please." With tears streaming down her face, her dam finally burst as her mind reacted to his brutal, but necessary wake-up call. Elena was gripping him tightly now, no longer struggling to get away.

Damon stroked her hair as her tears soaked his shirt, and whispered. "She would have been the most beautiful baby girl in the world. She would have had your luscious brown hair, your doe-like eyes, your long lashes and your heart-shaped face. I wanted her to look just like you, Elena." His voice almost sounded dreamy as he imagined what his baby girl would have looked like if she'd survived. The image of a mini Elena appeared in his mind, and his heart broke all over again as he watched a mini scene of the three of them as a happy family having a family picnic in the backyard.

"Your eyes," Elena suddenly whispered brokenly in between sobs. "She'd have your mesmerizing blue eyes, and your fair complexion. Your height, too. She'd have your patience, your temperament and ability to forgive even the worst of sins. She'd have your manners, too," she said into the crook of his neck, letting herself be surrounded by his strength, his warmth and the safety he provided.

"And if she had your stubbornness, we'd both be in a lot of trouble!" he teased, trying to lighten the mood a little. The front of his shirt was now drenched with not only her sadness, but his too, he suspected. In the last few minutes, they'd made great strides so far, and she was responding to him, at last.

And she was in his arms. That in itself, even if they hadn't spoken a word…it meant everything.

"It hurts, Damon!" she wailed suddenly, and the floodgates opened again as all her suppressed feelings released at once. His betrayal, the divorce papers, Katherine, the baby, the loss, the hopelessness, her father, the idea that she should have died at birth so that her parents would live; it all came crushing down on her in that instant. Her knees buckled under the weight of it all, and then she was on the floor, with Damon's arms wrapped around her tightly.

"I've got you. I've got you, babe. Let it out. Let it _all_ out. Whatever you're feeling, just let it out so that it can't hurt you anymore. I'm right here, Elena. I promise I'll never let you go again. I'll do anything you want me to do, just let me be here. Just let me be here for you," his whispered words washed over her and for that moment in time, she let herself believe him; she let herself believe that they could work through everything, that everything would go back to normal, that their lives were not as bleak and desolate as she felt.

In that moment, she left herself need him, probably as much as he needed her.

Throughout that night, they held each other, wrapped in each other's arms on the floor of the nursery as they cried until there were no more tears, leaving them exhausted and emotionally drained.

And so, they slowly drifted into the consolation and protection that only sleep could provide, transporting them into a realm where their minds could create a world without pain, guilt and anger as a form of escape. They dreamed. And it was this dream-like world that Damon woke up from, his mind still drowsy from the peace he left behind. Slowly awakening, there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that prompted his alertness as he realized what it was. Shaking the cobwebs of slumber from his mind, he felt cold, even though he was lying on the carpeted floor.

And he was alone.

He lurched up suddenly, rubbing his hands over his face before he stood up and stretched his aching body. There was a heavy feeling in his chest, but he smothered it before it turned into a full-fledged panic mode. There was a perfectly valid reason for her not being beside him when he awoke; she was in the bathroom, or maybe she just was in the kitchen preparing a drink. Yes, that was probably it.

Damon walked out of the nursery and then paused at the landing; undecided if he should check their bedroom first or to go downstairs. He decided to check the rest of the upper floor first and if he failed to locate her, then he'd go downstairs to find her.

Hesitantly, he walked over to the master bedroom and braced himself for the onslaught of emotions he was prepared to feel the moment the door opened. He half-expected to see traces of blood on the floor, but luckily, everything looked in order. It was a little _too_ clean, in fact. Looking around, he noticed that there weren't that many personal items around the room. The bear was – oh yes, the bear was no longer on its usual spot on the bed.

His eyes narrowed when he spotted something that was out of place. It was an envelope and a small box on top of it. He approached the bed cautiously, preparing for it to somehow come to life and attacked him, but everything was calm as usual. Ignoring the small box for the moment, he picked up the envelope first and proceeded to remove the contents out. He frowned when he saw that it was the fake divorce papers that he never got a chance to talk to Elena about. He read his name and then hers on the cover page with a sigh.

It was a good replica of a real divorce document, and if you didn't know what to look for, it could easily pass for the real thing. That was why it hurt so much that Elena had seen it and immediately assumed the worst. He flipped the pages until he got to the end, where the signatures were. Ha felt a pang of guilt when he saw his signature, but it was what he saw beside it that made him sick to the pit of his stomach. She had signed her name on the dotted line right beside his own.

She wanted to leave him? Elena wanted a divorce?

He immediately grabbed the small box and opened it; and it was exactly what he expected it to be; her wedding ring. With a frustrated cry, he ran into the walk-in wardrobe expecting to see her clothes, but by the looks of it, she'd had a very busy morning. Or maybe she'd already packed the day before, but he didn't notice because he never entered the bedroom. Whenever she'd done it, it was done and all her clothes were gone.

Shaking his head disbelievingly at this unexpected turn of events, Damon quickly pulled out his phone and dialled her number. It immediately went to voice mail. Expelling an exasperated sigh, he scrolled down his contacts until he found the one he had been looking for and pressed 'Dial'. He waited impatiently as it continued to ring until at last, a female voice greeted him.

"Where is she?" he asked without further delay.

"She's gone, Damon. She told me not to tell you," Jenna replied sadly.

"Jenna, please! We talked about the baby last night and she finally had a breakthrough. And then this morning, I woke up alone to find her wedding ring and a signed divorce papers on our bed. Granted, the documents may be fake, but it doesn't matter. In her mind, it _is_ real. I never had a chance to say everything I needed to say, so please, Jenna. Just tell me where she is so that I can explain everything to her. We've already lost our daughter; I can't lose my wife, too. We're talking divorce here, Jenna!" he implored desperately.

He heard a sigh and then Ric's voice in the background. "She's at the Penn Station, headed for Richmond. Hurry, Damon," was all Jenna said.

Thank you, God for Ric! Pausing long enough to express a quick thank you, he disconnected the phone and ran for his life to the car.

If there was ever a time for him to pray, this was it. He muttered a silent prayer under his breath for second chances and no traffic jams. He prayed for green lights all the way and for time to go slower. Lastly, upon reaching the train station, Damon prayed with everything he had in him that he could find Elena in the massive sea of people. And if and when he finally found her, he prayed that he could still see some hope left in her eyes.

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><p><strong>Do you guys think that he'd get to her in time? Leave me your thoughts!<strong>

**Like it, love it, hate it, don't much care for it: just review because you're a supportive reader and because you're nice! Don't make me believe otherwise! **

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**Thanks again to my wonderful, hard-working and all around amazing beta: Kate!**


	38. Chapter 38

**GOSH! My highest number of reviews yet! 43 for that chapter! You guys are all awesome! I just can't thank you enough. **

**Again, I wanted to thank Kate (This Is My Escape) for being my wonderful, all-around awesome, DEmanding and slightly DEmented for constantly hounding me on Twitter to remind me to write. So, I wrote...and wrote...up till 6:30 AM local time and woke up at 10:00AM. Honestly I'm feeling sleep DEprived! But, in the end, Kate came through for me by beta-ing her ass off in the most efficient way ever! Hugs and Kisses to you Kate!**

**DISCLAIMER: My FF friend Kristi and I have decided to be each other's PUBLICIST because we totally think it's a cool idea to create another new job for FANFICTION writers so that we can promote great stories that we've read to others. So, be warned that this disclaimer is now magically transformed into a Public Relations tool. Read these stories if you love DELENA as much as I do and want the stories to be as wonderfully written as these authors have done:**

**_Neverending Progress_ by tukct81**

**_Human _by This Is My Escape **

**_A Love That Consumes You_ by This Is My Escape**

**Read their stories and remember to leave them a review too!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 38: Chances <strong>

_(Damon's POV)_

People. Everywhere I looked, there were so many _people_.

As I hurried through the crowd, my neck craned in every direction, my eyes shifting impossibly fast as I searched for the woman who had run out on me. From the corner of my eye, I saw long brown hair and I immediately made my way over. Upon closer inspection, however, I realized she was a little too short and she had highlights in her hair.

I allowed my eyes to scan through the sea of faces again and then I spotted _another_ brunette, but she was with an older guy, so I searched again. At this rate, she could have arrived at Richmond and I could've been wasting my time.

As more time passed, I began feeling more and more hopeless and I still had no clue where to find her. At this point, I wanted to announce over the PA system to have everyone just sit down on the floor and holler, 'Would the real Elena Gilbert please stand up!'

Honestly, I couldn't even allow myself to think about what I would say to her if I found her. I wouldn't know where to even begin! Would I start by telling her about the fake divorce papers I had drafted in order to trick Katherine? Or should I just beg and plead on my knees for her to stay?

I couldn't understand why she leftwithout even saying goodbye. After the breakthrough we had the previous night, I thought that it would all get better, but apparently, I was wrong. With Little Purple - no, _Elizabeth's_ death and all the drama with John, Katherine and the divorce papers, one would think that we'd hit rock bottom and there was no way it could have gotten any worse, but it seemed as if I was wrong about that as well.

But none of my thoughts or worries would matter if I couldn't even _find_ the woman who seemed to have all the answers already figured out in her head. Evidently, whatever the future holds for her, _I'm_ not part of it as far as she's concerned. And _that_ thought hurts, more than I could ever say. I couldn't even imagine a life without Elena in it; not in that one week before Elizabeth's funeral and sure as hell not in the future.

Her decision to pack up and leave left me reeling and second-guessing myself in a way that I never had before. Everything we went through, everything I wanted in life, be it my marriage, kids, career or even distancing my relationship with my own father; what was the point in it all? Her departure left me shaken to my very core and I was left questioning everything I've ever known, everything that I took for granted once upon a time.

My steps faltered as I realized that I was already at the end of the platform and she was nowhere to be found. She must have already embarked onto the southbound train long before I arrived. Hope demanded I check again, though, so I circled around and started my way back to the other side because as long as the train hadn't left, I still had it.

My strides were bigger and faster as I searched again, my panicky eyes pausing randomly on women who looked like her, had similar colourings, the same height, or the same brown eyes.

Minutes seemed to fly by as I kept an eye on my watch; I knew I didn't have much time left.

And then _just_ as I was beginning to lose hope, the crowd parted and there _she_ was, standing stock still with her luggage bags on the floor beside her, looking straight at me as if she wasn't at all surprised to see me standing there. The moment I saw her, my movements halted.

It could have been seconds, it might even have been hours but there we were; just standing there, six feet apart, eyes locked on each other. I was afraid to even blink, let alone make a move for fear of losing her in the crowd again.

So I simply stared at her, letting my eyes do the talking even from a distance. An announcement came over the speakers, causing the spell to break when she tore her gaze from me to glance at the train. My heart thudded with fear. _No, she can't leave_, I hurriedly thought and suddenly, my feet were carrying me toward her on their own and in the next moment, I had her in my arms. I wrapped them around her so tightly that I was worried for a second that I'd suffocate her, but then she returned my embrace.

In that single, solitary moment, my heart exploded with joy; the only coherent thought being, 'Thank God! Thank God I made it! Thank God I found her!'

She buried her head into the crook of my neck as we hugged, neither one of us willing to let go, it seemed like. I wished with all my heart that we could just stay this way forever or at least until the train left so that I had more time to convince her to stay and to explain.

With great reluctance, I stepped back a little and cupped her cheeks, my thumbs wiping her tears away as I leaned in to brush her lips gently with mine. Her eyes drifted close at the contact, squeezing out more tears as our kiss deepened. One of my hands drifted lower to the side of her neck, tilting her head so that our lips fully aligned while the other hand moved to the back of her head to press her closer to me, my fingers buried in her luxurious locks.

I didn't care if the whole world was watching us or if we were to appear on a youtube video later; all I cared about was that we were _together_ and she was kissing me back.

I poured all my feelings, my longing, my heart, everything I had into that one slow kiss, hoping that it would be enough to convey how much I wanted her to stay, to trust that we could still work out whatever it was she was running away from. Pulling her lower lip between mine, I kissed her for one last time before I pulled back to gaze down at her in wonder.

I took a deep breath before I whispered, "Elena, I _never_ wanted to leave you." Her eyes flew open at that confession, her wide brown eyes boring deep into mine. "The documents you found... they were fakes. Katherine wanted some insurance so I had my lawyers draft up a set of bogus divorce papers so that she'd leave me the hell alone." I raised my voice louder with conviction as I stared at her with what I hoped was an open and sincere expression. "Elena, I would _never_ divorce you. Don't you know that by now?"

"I knew," she sniffed and…wait. What? She must have seen the confusion on my face because she added."I knew they were fake." Her admittance was soft; How did she know? And why –?

"Jeremy told me," she continued, answering my unspoken question. "Though It hurt when you saw my signature on it, didn't it? Even though you knew that they were forged? The papers may not have been real, but the betrayal certainly was. Damon, you could have _told_ me when it happened, but you chose not to. If you kept _that_ from me, what other secrets are there?"

To my dismay, I could see the hurt and distrust in her eyes and it physically hurt me knowing that _I_ put them there. There were no other secrets, though. I was determined to make her see that.

"There _are_ none! I don't have _any_ more secrets from you! I told you about your cooking thing and the private investigator thing already, and I didn't tell you about the divorce papers because...well, because it wasn't _necessary_ for _you_ to know!" I insisted, trying to explain that it wasn't done intentionally to hide the truth from her.

The truth was, I simply pushed it to the back of my mind and forgot about it. "Elena, those few pieces of paper weren't supposed to affect us the way it did. It was merely a tool to carry on the charade between Kat and I, utterly meaningless until she _gave_ it meaning by having you find it. I didn't expect in a million years that you'd find it and think – that it would cause –" I stuttered as the cold hard truth hit me like a ton of bricks.

My reckless decision to withhold that information from her all those months ago led to the pain we were both feeling now. It was _me_, my own fault! _I_ killed my little baby girl. I could no longer deny my responsibility for what happened. Not even _Stefan_ would be able to find an excuse for me now.

A flash of pain crossed Elena's features for a split second as our conversation veered towards the baby, and then she shook her head in disbelief, "No more secrets?" she asked doubtfully. "What about the fact that your parents are divorcing? And your decision to leave Salvatore Corporation? What about your father practically disowning you, meaning that you'll lose your birthright? You are a _Salvatore_, Damon, and _because_ of me, you're basically throwing away your inheritance!" I stared in shock at her as she almost screamed in frustration and my immediate reaction was that I wanted to protest indignantly that I haven't had a chance to tell her all that because I was banned from seeing or talking to her for the past one week, but I held my tongue because it wouldn't help the situation.

That, and it just didn't matter anymore. But then, she got her point across by her next words.

"John may be a lot of things, but he was right about me, Damon. I'm better off alone," she said in a sad voice, as if she was just admitting it to herself then. "I bring so much pain to everyone around me. It's true," she said hastily when she saw my mouth open to object to her unfair assessment. "You can deny it all you want, but facts are facts and they're right there for you to see, laid out right in front of you; _you_ are living proof of that! You met me, and then a few months later, you lost everything you ever cared about! Think about it, Damon! Your family's falling apart, your bright future with your company is gone, and so is your daughter. You lost _everything_ because of _me_," she stressed softly, her voice cracking as tears of despair flowed from her eyes. Since our breakthrough the previous night, it seemed as if she couldn't stop crying now– yet _another_ thing I felt guilty for.

"I don't see it that way, Elena. You're trying to make sense out of the ramblings of a mad man! You chose to listen to John Gilbert, of _all_ people? That man has done _nothing_ but caused you pain ever since you were born. He deserted you as a newborn baby and left his brother _and_ wife to take care of you, leaving them to bring you up as their own. He denied you an education, he chased you out of your own home, he threatened and _assaulted_ you in front of my family. He had your husband beat up with a baseball bat on _your_ birthday, _and_ he collaborated with other people to cheat your husband's company out of a truckload of cash! Who _does_ that to his own flesh and blood?" I shook her shoulders slightly to try to get my point across. It seemed to work because she looked doubtful for a moment. It was time to press on and lay the subject to rest once and for all.

"Elena, you have _no_ idea how much you mean to not just me, but to my mother and Stefan, and all our friends. You keep focusing on the negatives that you don't even _see_ the positives that happened. What about Stefan and Caroline? It was _you_ who brought them together. If it weren't for _you_, my brother would still be watching Care out of the corner of his eyes. And what about Ric and Jenna? _You're_ the reason they met in the first place and do you want to know what made Ric proposed?" I paused, giving her a few seconds to pique her interest. She shook her head as she listened on.

I brushed my fingers against her cheek and traced the shape of her jaw as she continued to stare at me with her watery depths. "Ric wanted what _you and I_ have. He told me so the night he asked Jenna to marry him, at our house, in our pantry! He saw us as the couple that defeated the odds and fell in love despite the circumstances. He wanted what we have because we made it look easy. It was easy because it's _real_, Elena. I've never felt what I feel for you with anyone before, not ever. I fell for you instantly because of your strength, your sincerity and your enormous heart. Even my _mother_ fell in love with you. And then there's the case with my company; if it weren't for _your_ ideas and support, we would _never_ have caught the culprits up till now!" My voice was pleading but confident as I hoped to shoot all her objections to hell.

This girl – yes, girl not woman because she was totally being an insecure and rebellious teenager right then – in front of me, was the most amazing, beautiful, smart, passionate, loving person I've ever met, and to know that she felt inadequate in _any_ way was...devastating.

How was I supposed to make her see and understand what she meant to me? That she was the light at the end of the tunnel for me, that she was my past, present and future? That she probably made me into the sappy, corny, lovesick fool I was being but I couldn't care less, because I had _her_ love?

If I wasn't worried about depriving Elena from the only parent she had left, no matter how detestable, I would have probably shot a few bullets into John Gilbert's head by now. Or have him drawn and quartered before throwing his parts from a very high cliff onto jagged edges of the rocks below. Or had his tongue cut out, fed back to him anally, and then staked his non-existent heart.

Anyway, the point I was getting at was for that pathetic excuse of a human-being to feel the pain that he had inflicted upon this girl that I loved more than life itself.

"Elena," I whispered, tucking a stray lock of soft brown hair behind her ear and placed both palms at the side of her neck, cradling her face gently as I gazed down at her vulnerable expression. "You have _no_ idea how much you've given me by just being in my life. You gave me the courage to stand up to my father, to tell him to fuck off for bullying me into giving in to his demands all these years. You've opened up my eyes to the possibilities of stepping out from under my shell, to venture into an unknown future where I get to build my own company and become my own person away from being a Salvatore. You've given me a family, not just a baby or any other child in the future, but also Jeremy, Jenna, Bonnie and _even_ Elijah. I've never been happier to have all these people in my life and it's all because of _you_!" I hated to admit it, but yes, they have become a part of my extended family; sometimes I fondly referred to them as the side effects of one Elena Gilbert.

Her lower lip quivered as she gave me a watery smile as her hand lifted to rest upon one of my own at the side of her neck. "And you deserve all of it, Damon. You deserve to have all you want out of life; friends who love you, a career that you love and enjoy, a family you'd be proud to call your own. You deserve all the happiness in the world because of who _you_ are. But I can't be the one to hold you back from all that. I won't." She pulled my hands away from her and held them tightly in her grip as she lowered them down to my chest. Shit. I knew it. I could tell there was a 'but' coming a mile away. She wouldn't be the Elena I knew and loved if she didn't have a 'but' ready to spring out at me somehow.

"I'm b-broken, Damon. I woke up in your arms this morning feeling lost and alone. I felt as if a huge part of me had been ripped out, feeling like I'd never be whole again. I found myself questioning everything I've ever known or _thought_ I knew; about us, about being a mother and a wife, about college and the future I thought I wanted," she shook her head and then the waterworks started again, her tears coursing down her face in never-ending supply. Frankly, I was wondering how she hadn't collapsed at my feet with dehydration by now.

"Can you still imagine _me_ being in this future of yours?" I _had_ to ask that question, if only to be further filled with anxiety as I waited for her answer. I was fairly confident that her answer would be in the affirmative, because _I_ could see _her_ in every possible future my mind could conjure up, and because I had _that_ much faith in us.

"...I don't know, Damon," she sighed brokenly.

Okay, I had to admit, _that_ hurt. Hearing her expressing her doubts not only about herself but about _us_...I was surprised I managed to maintain my upright position because all I wanted to do was to sink down to my knees and bury my face into her belly, still slightly swollen from the miscarriage, and cry my eyes out. But I didn't; I grabbed her body and pulled her closer to me instead. "We'll fix this, you and I. We'll fix _us_. We'll do whatever we have to do to get over this. We'll find our footing again, I _promise_ you. I _will_ fix this, just give me a chance to prove it to you, Elena," I promised, my eyes searching hers for the sign of hope I prayed for earlier, but she was resolved in her decision. Don't get me wrong, I love her, but her stubbornness was not one of her more attractive qualities.

_Surprise, surprise_. There she went, shaking her head again. "No, Damon, I'm not meant for you to fix. I _need_ to do this on my own. I'm nineteen years old and I still have my whole life ahead of me. I can't live my life constantly depending on you or Jeremy or Jenna to help me through all the challenges that life decided to throw my way! I need to figure out how to be strong, to be able to be independent and to make my own decisions without being influenced by circumstances or the people around me. Like you, I've lived my life based on my _parents'_ expectations, by _John's_ rules, and marrying young because of an unplanned pregnancy. I had to put my life on hold because of a mistake _I_ made the night we met!" She pulled away from me and took a deep breath, her expression apologetic as her words were like a knife twisting deep in my heart.

"I don't regret _any_ of it, because what we shared meant a lot to me and like you said, we found love _despite_ the circumstances. But now, reality's setting in and things have changed; there's no child involved now so we get a second chance to think if this life is _really_ what we want. I wouldn't want to hold you back from all the greatness you can achieve by setting up your own company. You don't want to be burdened with a young wife who doesn't quite know what to do with herself, let alone know who she is, expecting her to support you when you need it. And _I_ don't want to be held back by being forced into a life that I may not be ready for. Perhaps I'll wake up tomorrow and regret my decision, but it won't matter because it'll be _my_ mistake to make. I'm still a teenager; I'm _supposed_ to make mistakes so that I can learn from them. I need some time to grow up and figure out what I'm going to do with my life, which course to take in college or get a job for a while."

I was unable to speak after her speech. I didn't know if it was realizing that she had a point or two there or if I was being selfish if I didn't let her go and make her own decisions. Obviously, I wanted her to have everything she could ever want in life if it made her happy, but on the other hand, I knew that _I_ could make her happy if she stayed with me.

It was a tough call, one that I wasn't necessarily equipped to make in this moment of time.

"Why Richmond? Why not stay in New York and do everything you just said? If it's space and time that you need, then I'd _give_ it to you. We could live apart for a while and try it out for a few months-" I started to suggest, feeling better that at least I'd still be able to be a part of her life but she interrupted me with another outburst.

"Because I'd never be able to stop myself from coming back to you! What happened last night proved how much I've come to depend on you, when with a few words and a touch, you had completely broken down all my defences! I need to know that you _won't_ be around to fix my life for me. I need to know that if I had any trouble, nobody would magically appear to help me. Don't you get it? I need to do this alone." She was practically begging for me to understand that she wanted to _not_ need me.

I understood then.

Sighing wearily, I nodded and asked, "What are you going to do in Richmond? Where are you going to stay?" I saw her visibly relaxed as she sensed my acceptance in the horizon.

It was ironic really, how she didn't _want_ to need me, but then she needed me to keep my promise to her last night; that I would do anything she wanted me to do. At that moment, I _hated_ myself for being a man of my word.

She lowered her eyes as she said haltingly, "In the hospital, when John came to...to talk, he gave me an option. If I promised to leave...New York, then he would _give_ me my father's college fund for my education. I guess in hindsight, he had more than enough money of his own after the stunt he pulled on you and your company, but the money was enough for me to rent a small apartment and sign up for short courses that I might be interested in. Along the way, I'll try to figure out where to go from there. My life is not completely mapped out but that's _exactly_ what I like about this plan anyway. Maybe I'll come back after, but maybe I won't. Nothing is set in stone yet so we'll see. So, about our divorce-" she brought up hesitantly, raising her uncertain eyes up to mine and then paused without finishing her sentence.

"No! I'll _reluctantly_ agree to a time-out and let you figure out everything you need to, but a divorce right now is out of the question! I took a vow in church and I married you because I loved you, not because of circumstances like you mentioned. My vows were 'til death do us part' and 'for better or for worse'. I don't know what that means for you, but to me, _that_ means forever. I'll respect your wish to have your own space and some time to yourself, but please, respect _my_ wish to still have _you_ as my wife after all we've been through! So please don't bring up the D-word again unless you're absolutely one hundred percent sure that you never want to have anything to do with me again," I challenged back, my brow lifted as I waited wordlessly for her agreement.

She took a deep breath again as she pondered over my request and I panicked a little as I saw her struggle with indecision until she finally nodded with a small smile. "Thank you, Damon. I better go. Take care of yourself," she whispered and then she reached for her luggage and started walking over towards the waiting train. But I couldn't let her go yet. There was one more thing I had to do before she left.

"Wait!" I called out as I closed the distance once more. "This ring is yours," I told her as I pressed the ring box into her palm. "Keep it with you as a symbol of the love we shared and as a reminder of happier times. Whatever happens between us in the future, it'll be yours to keep. But I hope that the next time that ring slips on your finger, it'll _stay_ there. And Elena...I love you," I whispered as I gazed down at her, wishing and praying that she would change her mind right there and then.

I swore that her eyes softened at my declaration; perhaps it was exactly the words that she needed to hear in that moment of indecision. She had been abandoned her whole life, starting with her birth mother dying during childbirth, and then John left her with her adoptive parents, and then _they_ died, leaving her at the mercy of the man who never wanted anything to do with her, and for a moment, she'd thought that she lost me as well, and then, the final straw that broke camel's back, the baby. I would imagine that the last one was the hardest of all on her, because, well, what parent could survive unscathed with the loss of a child? But I knew that she was a strong person, perhaps even stronger than all of us combined and I was certain that one day, she would return to me after rediscovering her strength.

In the mean time...

"I know," she murmured as she leaned in and with the softest pressure, her lips brushed against my cheek. And then without another word, she turned around and then she was just..._gone_.

It happened _exactly_ like it always happens in those corny romantic movies; the heroine embarked on the train just as it began pulling away from the platform, leaving the hero to chase after it for one last glimpse of the woman who took his heart with her. And then, when the train slowly gained momentum, the hero tried to catch up, calling after her until he reached the end of the platform and could only watch the rapidly speeding train carrying her away from him.

At precisely 9:55 AM on a Sunday morning, _I_ was the hero of my very own corny love story. Only, I wondered if _I _would have the happy ending that the hero usually got. And then I realized, with what's left of my heavy heart, that my heroine never said it back.

Elena _didn't_ say that she loved me back. That was it.

_My_ love story...sucked.

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><p><em><span>(3rd person's POV)<span>_

Inside a deserted train compartment, a young brunette sank down into a seat and buried her head into her jacket sleeves, sobbing violently. Despite breaking down several times during her final confrontation with her husband, she had managed to remain strong throughout their conversation, especially towards the end when he finally agreed to let her go. She _could_ have made it all the way to Richmond and into her new apartment before breaking down completely had he not whispered the three words that she wasn't prepared to hear.

He loved her. Still.

After everything she did to push him away, he wouldn't give up on her. She didn't deserve his love; she didn't deserve _him_. He should be with someone who could be the right woman for him, someone he deserved. A woman who was more matured, who didn't have as many emotional scars, someone who was ready to give him a family.

Someone that _wasn't_ her.

She was broken, fractured, empty. She was _beyond_ repair. She knew it in her heart even though Dr. Michaels told her otherwise. She thought back to the day at the hospital that her obstetrician told her that the actual cause of her still birth was largely due to maternal high blood pressure and also the extreme loss of blood. It was a hereditary symptom that she hadn't known about because John had never mentioned about her birth mother before.

What was even more heartbreaking was the knowledge that there was a huge chance that she might not even be able to conceive due to the complication of her first pregnancy. Dr. Michaels had spoken of the various tests that they could do, to find out for sure if she would have a high-risk pregnancy if she did, in fact, get pregnant again, but she knew it was a lost cause.

Elena would not be able to have children again. She would not be able to give Damon the family he so obviously longed for. And for that, she was deeply sorry.

That was why, even though she loved him with all her heart, she had to leave him behind as she struggled to pick up the pieces of her life again. She knew that she had made the right choice, to do right by him and to give him a second chance at finding happiness with someone else. She knew it but that didn't make it any easier.

So, she broke down in that empty compartment, feeling as if she left a piece of her heart back on that platform he stood on.

"I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry. Please, forgive me," she whispered brokenly to no one in particular; it was simply a whispered plea meant to be sent out into the universe.

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><p>He didn't know how long he'd been driving aimlessly around the streets of New York. All he knew what that he had gotten in his car and automatically started the ignition, and then hearing the engine roaring to life, he automatically put the car into gear and started driving. He was operating on auto-pilot; stopping when the car in front of him stopped, his hands adjusting the wheel as the roads curved. He definitely wasn't heading home, that much, he was certain. He wasn't heading to the mansion either, for fear of running into his father. So, it took him by surprise too when he pulled up in front of a familiar building that he hadn't seen in nearly six months.<p>

It was the bar where he met Elena one fine evening. Sigi's was the name of that bar.

Damon hesitated for a moment before he killed the engine and unfolded himself from his car. Stuffing his hands inside his jacket pocket, he slowly made his way to the front doors of the dark bar, closed until a later part of the day. He peered in through the dirty windows and the memories hit him like a bucketful of ice cold water.

Everything at the bar remained the same; the stools where they sat next to each other, the table at a corner where they had their first meal together, and then the dance floor where she stood barefoot on his toes as they danced and kissed for the first time. Then his gaze slid to the brick wall just outside of the swinging glass doors; he had pulled her to him and kissed her passionately after she removed her stockings, pushing her back onto the hard surface as he explored her mouth and then it had started raining.

He remembered the way they ran hand-in-hand towards Ric's apartment as the skies opened up and drenched them from head to toe, and then halfway through, she had fallen behind due to the slippery floor. And so, without thinking, he had scooped her up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way, dripping puddles of water in the lobby of Ric's building. He remembered being chastised for spoiling her fun because she was perfectly fine with playing around in the rain and her glowing smile as they stood in the elevator, waiting for it to reach Ric's floor.

Elena had been soaking wet from the rain, her hair a tangled, sopping mess and her make-up smeared, but he had fallen in love with her radiant smile in that small compartment. And then there were her soft brown eyes, crinkled because of the simple joys from walking in the rain alone; it was where he could see right into her heart. He had kissed her in the elevator too. He couldn't help it. And then the doors slid open and they were running along the narrow corridor, towards the end where his buddy's apartment was. And then the door opened.

"Damon?" Ric asked in surprise as he saw his best friend standing there in confusion.

"Ric? W-what are you doing here?" Damon asked as his mind slipped in and out of the memory of that first night. They had stumbled through the door in their haste to be together, kissing as they crossed the threshold and then he had pushed her against the door, again claiming her lips in another bruising kiss. But Ric hadn't been home then.

"Newsflash, I _live_ here. What are _you_ doing here? Where's Elena?" Ric asked as he peered over Damon's shoulder to see if the petite brunette was hidden behind him.

Damon frowned and then looked around the living room, looking as if he had misplaced something important. "She's right...she was here a moment ago...she's..." and then the light came on in his head. "Oh yeah, she's gone," he admitted with a downcast look. There was no point to look for her then; she was no longer there with him like he had imagined in his mind, the memories of their first night together led him all the way from the entrance of the bar to Ric's apartment where they made love for the first time. But he only just realised that it was in fact, merely memories. She really_ was_ gone this time, far enough away that he couldn't see her face whenever he wanted.

"Hey, are you alright? Are you drunk?" his best friend asked kindly as he pulled him inside the quiet apartment so that he could close the door. "Because you look like hell."

Not knowing what to do with himself, Damon pulled off his jacket and sank down onto the couch, the very couch that he had made love to her. He shot up straight and quick as lightning when he realized that fact and then he moved over to the other seat, throwing a tortured look at the couch he just vacated. "Ric, would you mind if I stayed here for a little while? I-I can't go back to that empty house, not without..." he trailed off as he curled up into a ball on the two-seater he was sitting on, burying his head in the throw pillows.

"Sure, buddy. Stay as long as you need. Do you-do you wanna talk about it?" Ric asked as he took a seat at the edge of the other couch, not knowing why Damon recoiled as if in fear from a perfectly good couch.

The raven-haired head shook from left to right and then a muffled response came from the pillows, "She's gone. I'm here, crashing on your couch. What's there to talk about? My life is over."

Ric chuckled, his eyes sad as he gazed at his friend."I'm sure it's not that bad. Elena will be back soon, won't she? I'm sure she won't be able to stay away from you. She just needs some time to cool off, to think things through," Ric said confidently; already well into his pep-talk mode. At times like these, he felt more like a counsellor than a friend to Damon.

His pep-talk seemed to work because the next thing he knew, Damon had lurched up in his seat, looking more alive than he did when he arrived at his doorstep. "Exactly! I made her _think_! She shouldn't be alone out there doing something as _dangerous_ as thinking, and especially not about us! What is there to think about our relationship? I love her, and she loves me! _There_! Thinking done! Brain is now empty! Now why _isn't_ she back already?" he cried out bitterly, his head turning to stare at the door so intently that Ric was worried he'd have a hole in it soon.

And then, to _both_ men's shock, they heard footsteps coming closer in the corridor and then the sound of jiggling keys right outside the door. For a second, Damon actually looked joyful as he turned to stare at Ric with disbelief, but his buddy quickly put a stop to his expectant look. "I wouldn't get your hopes up yet, buddy. It's probably Jenna, not...umm, I'd better go tell her about...yeah," he said nervously while standing up to get the door to greet his fiancée and tell her that niece's husband would be staying over for who knew how long; yeah. No, that wouldn't be awkward at _all_!

Jenna was about to twist the key in the lock when Ric had the door suddenly open, walking out into the hall, closing it behind him as he stood out in front of her. "Hey, honey!" he leaned in to press a quick peck on her lips before pulling back to gaze sheepishly at her. "Umm, I sort of have a surprise for you in there," he gestured towards the door with head-tilt.

Jenna's eyes immediately widened with excitement at the idea of being surprised. "Oooh, what is it? Is it a wedding dress? A wedding planner? A band?" she gasped out at the last guess. He rolled his eyes at her excitement; one freaked out roommate was enough, but now he may actually have had his hands full with another one.

"That's a _no_ to all of the above. But we _do_ have a new roommate!" he smiled widely with faked enthusiasm. To that news, Jenna released a squeal before carrying on with her guessing. "Ooh, did you get us a new pet? Did you get a puppy?" her brown eyes were positively glowing with anticipation at the thought of a new family member.

"Umm, I guess you could say that. He's got shaggy black hair, a pale face and answers to the name 'Damon'. He's curled up on the couch now, but you don't have to worry; he's completely housebroken and he won't disrupt our lives...for the most part," he described, looking everywhere other than his puzzled fiancée.

"You named our pet after your best friend?" she seemed confused and undecided if her niece's husband should feel insulted or not to have a dog named after him. Ric let out a chuckle and then decided to let the cat out of the bag before he turned into a liar to cover for his best friend.

"Not exactly," he answered vaguely and then with a push of his arm, he swung the door open to reveal a very subdued figure curled up on the couch, exactly as Ric described earlier. "He _is_ Damon. But the best thing is, he doesn't shed all over our couch!" he exclaimed enthusiastically as he studied her reaction. "So, can we keep him?"

Jenna's face fell as she shot her fiancée a warning look and then immediately went to sit down on the sofa next to Damon, wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders. "How're you doing, Damon? She really left, didn't she? God, you poor thing," she cooed softly, feeling her heart breaking for the couple who had been through so much together, barely just reunited after a massive fight on their wedding night only to be torn apart again by a tragedy where they lost their child. To say what they'd gone through was 'unfair'… well, the word was probably the biggest understatement of the century.

Damon nodded slowly, his cheek rubbing against the coarse fabric of the pillow under his head as he stared unblinking on a random spot, not meeting anybody's eyes. The sight of his miserable expression prompted Jenna to reach over and stroke his soft hair, like a mother would to a sad child, earning her a glare from her watchful fiancée. Then, as Damon closed his eyes, two fat tears slid through the cracks of his lids, and they fell unchecked before they stained the pillows. Without knowing how and why he got there, Alaric found himself leaning over with his hand outstretched, squeezing Damon's shoulder comfortingly as he sought to bring solace to his friend who was hurting.

* * *

><p>It had been little more than a month since Damon watched as the love of his life got on that train, a month being surrounded by people who once brought him joy, but now only served to remind him of what, or rather <em>who<em>, was missing from their circle.

He realized that he wasn't the _only_ one who missed Elena, but the rest of the gang did as well. He also knew that Jenna and Jeremy had both spoken to her over the phone, and occasionally Bonnie and Caroline as well, but they rarely brought her up when they were around him, except for a few slip-ups in the past month. It was like the very subject of 'Elena' was taboo all of a sudden. If someone even accidentally mentioned her name, the whole room went quiet as all eyes immediately shot over to Damon, to wait for and gauge his reaction before they hastily changed the subject and all started talking at once.

But he didn't mind. In fact, he was hungry for any information concerning _her_, but it seemed as if the gang decided to leave him out of the loop of everything Elena-related. It was probably a misguided attempt to help him move on from her, but they would be blind if they couldn't see that he was pretty much pining over her still. After all, he was still in that sweat pants phase of a post break-up. He had rarely left the apartment since the day he showed up and he hadn't really moved from the spot where Jenna first saw him at Ric's house.

From his current position on the couch, Damon could hear hushed tones and little snippets of his name mixed with hers sporadically and when he couldn't stand the secrecy anymore, he sat up and glowered at the huddled group by the dining table. "I still have ears, you know? You guys are not being stealthy enough for me _not_ to know that you're talking about her. So spill it guys! Tell me. Is she in some kind of trouble? Does she need help?"

Six pairs of eyes looked over at him with various expressions; some guilty, some wary, and one in particular with a determined look on her face. Of course, that face also came with wavy blonde hair. And guess what? She spoke, too!

"Damon, we've decided that enough is enough! All you've done is to mope around and wallowing in your own sadness while the rest of the world passes you by! You should be out _there_, working your butt off to set-up your own company instead of just-just...you know, existing!" Caroline snapped as she made her way over to the couch, followed closely by the rest; Ric, Jenna, Stefan, Bonnie and Jeremy. "Look at you! When's the last time you showered? When was the last time you shaved? When was the last time you even looked in the mirror?" she pointed a finger at the huge mirror behind her, the one that reflected Elena's bare ass when she side-stepped her way into what she thought was the bathroom, but was in fact the kitchen. Damon's lips lifted at the corners at the sudden memory of her cuteness.

Seeing his small smile, Caroline felt motivated that her lecture was working, finally. "The Damon_ I_ know wouldn't let himself become this person who doesn't take care of himself. The Damon _I_ know would've immersed himself in work just to be productive even while you're moping on the _inside_! He would've wanted Ele- _her_," she hastily corrected before continuing on with her tirade, "to be proud of the man he'd become, making something of himself instead of being in this perpetual state of grieving!"

Damon growled, "I'm allowed to _grieve_, Caroline! Not only did I lose my daughter, but I also watched my wife walked away from me! I could very well end up losing _another_ person I love! She wasn't only my wife, she was my soul mate! She's the only reason I still have the strength to open my eyes in the morning!" Damon snapped at her, even though he knew that she was absolutely right about making Elena proud of the man he had the potential to be instead of the yeti he was rapidly turning into, if he wasn't _already_ one.

"Damon," Ric spoke, drawing everyone's eyes to him as he asked, "Did you ever stop to consider that maybe, just _maybe_, you guys just weren't meant to be?"

There was complete silence for a moment following his question, insane as it sounded, even to himself now that it was actually spoken out loud.

"Oh God, here we go," Stefan muttered as he folded his arms while he watched the next scene unfold expectantly. Damon couldn't react, so he just stared open-mouthed at his oldest friend in the world, asking him the most ridiculous question ever. It was as if he was asking if Giuseppe had a sense of humour. Yeah, it was _that_ outrageous!

The silence only broke when Jenna marched over to her fiancée and smacked him on the back of his head and rolled her eyes at his incredible foolishness. "Idiot!" she exclaimed under her breath, followed by an outburst of, "Ouch!" from her victim as he rubbed his head where her palm connected to his skin.

Bonnie just stood there and shook her head as she gazed at Jenna with an expression of disbelief. "_Really_? You're marrying _him_?" she mouthed, pointing to Ric sceptically.

Damon couldn't stand being around them anymore so he mumbled something about taking a shower and then hurriedly escaped into the privacy of the tiled room.

* * *

><p>Once Damon was out of the room and away from hearing range, the gang rounded around Ric and vented their frustration out at his inappropriate question. "Ric! How <em>could<em> you ask that question! You know they're totally meant to be together!" cried Caroline.

"Yeah, my brother loves Elena, Ric. I've never seen him so lost before in his life! Not even when he discovered that Mrs. Lily Evans was married and wasn't even remotely interested to pursue a relationship with him, a nine-year old student of hers," Stefan spoke then, shaking his head in disappointment.

"I _know_ that, guys! Well, I got him to get _off_ that couch and _into_ the shower, didn't I? You guys weren't here when I watched him sit on the other couch and then suddenly shoot up as if his ass was on fire before he moved over to the other one! He's made sure to steer clear from _that_ one ever since!" Ric said as he pointed to the longer couch, the one that Damon had initially sat on.

Caroline looked dubious for a moment and then asked, "Do you think that's where they _did_ it?" All eyes turned to the couch in question.

"I _do_ now!" Ric gave a shudder as he looked over the said couch with disgust.

"Eww, so that's where my sister lost her virginity _and_ got knocked up at the same time?" Jeremy looked absolutely sick as his eyes glanced over to the black couch. "Eww!"

"Look, we need to do something to help them both realize what a huge mistake they're making. _Especially_ Elena. Okay, what's up with that niece of yours, anyway? What was she thinking, running away from Damon like that? Is she a bit, you know, cuckoo like John Gilbert?" Ric lifted a finger and made circles in the air beside his ear at the word 'cuckoo'.

"No! She's suffered a great deal and well, she's probably hormonal when she made the decision to leave New York, but otherwise...she's fine!" Jenna insisted defensively, but it wasn't necessary; every single person in the room knew now what that girl went through.

"Okay, anyway, you guys, we really have to do something. Three weeks ago, I walked in on Damon crying his eyes out over a movie about a _dog_!" Ric nodded earnestly when the others seemed sceptical of his statement. "I'm telling you, it's true! His eyes and nose were red and he had tears running down his face and when I asked him what was wrong, he said that he was watching a remake of a Japanese film of a loyal dog named Hachiko. The dog walks the owner to the train station everyday and returns in the evening to walk him back from the station. One day, the owner died of a heart attack, but Hachiko never failed to return to the same spot every day to wait for him, right up to the day he died. It was...a very moving film," he blinked a few times and cleared his throat as he waited for their reaction.

"Oh, was _that_ the film you were watching with Damon when I came back from class to find you _both_ in tears that day? I remembered you not being able to even speak after the credits rolled," Jenna struggled to keep a straight face as she realized that _that_ was exactly what she walked in on.

"It was a great film! Anyway," Ric changed the subject while the others snorted and chuckled at his embarrassment. "Then last week, I heard him listening to Toni Braxton's 'Unbreak My Heart' and 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' by Bonnie Tyler. It was the most pitiful moment I've ever seen."

"But those are nice songs! I mean, yeah, their lyrics may be a little too close to home, but Damon and I grew up listening to them. Maybe he was being nostalgic?" Stefan wondered as the songs played in his mind, thinking that he was going to dig up the CDs when he got home later.

"Fine, but what about 'All Out of Love' by Air Supply, huh? I mean you just don't sing an Air Supply song unless you're absolutely heartbroken!" Ric announced with a sad sigh while the others nodded in agreement.

Well, all except for Jeremy who mouthed to Bonnie. "Who's Air Supply?"

"But that's not even the worst yet! I found him one night standing at the balcony singing 'Chances Are'! That's _obviously_ supposed to be sung to Elena!" Ric went on.

"Wait a minute, I haven't heard _that_ one before! How does it go?" Stefan asked, curious.

Ric cleared his throat and then frowned as he tried to recall the lyrics. "Okay, it went something like this:

_"Chances are I'll see you somewhere in my dreams tonight __  
>You'll be smiling like the night we met<br>Chances are I'll hold you and I'll offer all I have_

_You're the only one I can't forget __  
>Baby you're the best, I've ever met."<em>

There was total silence following the last note of Ric's baritone voice. And then, not in the least surprising, Caroline broke through the awkward pause. "Oh my God, that's awful! Don't _ever_ do that to us again! But oh no, you're right; Damon's in trouble, so what do we do?" She exclaimed in that high pitched voice of hers. Ric looked momentarily insulted at her comment but then shrugged and concentrated on helping their friend.

"I have an idea, but I'm gonna need help from _all_ of you to pull this one off," Jenna paused dramatically as her gaze swept pass every single one of them, lingering on her fiancée who hastily nodded his agreement. Everyone murmured their co-operation and then waited for her to divulge the secret plan.

"We're gonna move up our wedding. That way, it'll force both of them to be in the same room for lengthy periods of time with plenty of opportunity for them to have conversations together. After all, Damon will be Ric's best man, and Elena will be my maid of honour," she announced, as the others nodded their approval excitedly. "The best part of it all? It means that neither of them are allowed to leave without pissing off the bride and the bridegroom!"

"Nice!" Caroline exclaimed enthusiastically. "Helping people is never more rewarding than when it's in your own self-interest! Count me in!"

* * *

><p><strong>For those of you who wanted a longer chapter; here are over 9600 words for you to feast your eyes on. As for me? I'm going back to bed!<strong>

**R-E-V-I-E-W if you value your lives! See, if you guys can threaten me, I can return the favour as well! **

**A big fat thank you to Kate for being your usual spectacular self! And also to Kristi, the best publicist (even though it's the fake kind) in the world for forcing people to read my story. I owe you both a lot!**

**My twitter again: cgsa_cher (I talk about weird things a lot.)**


	39. Chapter 39

**DISCLAIMER: Failure to review will result in bloaty head syndrome as well as a sudden impulse to ship Bonnie and Damon together (senses rising panic in readers). Yeah, this applies to every other story as well. **

**Please send some love to Kate (This Is My Escape), my DEathly-DEvoted-to-DElena Beta who's all around awesome and efficient. Also to all my regular reviewers; you guys know who you are! Love you guys in a non-creepy and non-threatening way!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 39: Brave New World<strong>

"Okay, as Madame Chairperson of Operation Save-A-Marriage 2.0, I hereby call this meeting to order. Everyone settled in?" Caroline asked in her most business-like voice she could muster, sweeping a glance around the dining table at the other seven occupants of the seats around her.

Looking around him in bewilderment, Elijah raised his hand in the air to be noticed by the blond woman seated at the head of the table. "Yes, Elijah?" she asked, nodding curtly as acknowledgement.

"I'm just wondering why I'm here since I wasn't a part of Operation Save-A-Marriage version one, and also, why are we meeting _here,_ of all places?" he gestured a finger at the surrounding area with a lift of his brow.

This time, it was Ric who spoke up, "Oh, we needed a place to talk freely without being overheard and well, if Damon can hang around my apartment all the time, then I think it's only fair that we crash _his_ place when we're plotting how to pull off a wedding while saving his marriage to Elena at the same time." He rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly at the temptation to add the word 'again' at the end of Elena's name.

It seemed to him like he was constantly giving advice and helping Damon to make sure that he didn't make the biggest mistake of his life by letting his wife walk away from him without at least doing _something_. Saving his buddy's marriage somehow appeared to be a full-time job now, which was precisely why he took a day off from work to attend this little meeting.

"Besides," he went on, "my place was starting to smell all Damon-like now; the pre-showered version."

"Yeah, I'm starting to think that I know him a little _too_ well now," Jenna piped up. She was extremely fond of the man her niece married, but it was unhealthy how much brooding a man could do, especially _after_ Caroline's pep talk the other day. It was as if he just gave up on everything else in his life and simply...waited. Waiting for things to get better, waiting for Elena to come to her senses and return to him, and waiting for something to happen that would cause him not to wait anymore. It just wasn't an attractive look on him at all, certainly not even remotely close to the man her niece had fallen in love with.

Anxious to get the meeting underway without any further delay, Caroline clapped her hands together twice, drawing everyone's attention. "Elijah, you're going to play a _very_ crucial role in this one, so _of course_ you're a part of our team! _Surely_ you knew that you were going to be a valued team member from the moment you started hanging out with us. In case you didn't already know, Damon and Elena are absolutely clueless when it comes to their relationship, but that's where _we_ come in."

"Don't you all think that whatever that goes on between them is none of our business?" Elijah frowned in confusion. He wasn't used to playing such a lead role in other people's relationships, especially when the couple didn't even ask for his help. He had a healthy respect for a line that shouldn't be crossed by third parties, but apparently his new friends had no such respect.

Simultaneously, six heads were thrown back in laughter, roaring out their mirth at his statement of naiveté. It quickly became obvious to them how little Elijah actually knew them and how their group dynamics worked.

"Oh my God, for a minute there, I thought you were being serious!" Caroline managed to gasp out in between laughter, wiping tears from her eyes. "Do you have _any_ idea how many times we've come to the rescue when it came to those two? It's like they can't even function without us around, I swear to God!"

"It's true," Jeremy agreed, nodding his head and sighing. "I hate to admit this, but my sister can be rather stubborn when she's being all selfless and stuff. I would bet that she left Damon because of some idea she had that it was better for his sake without her around. Come to think of it, she'd always had this inferior complex, like she was never good enough for anyone." Of course, there weren't any basis for her insecurities, but Elena couldn't help but to think that way anyway.

"That's _exactly_ what it was." Bonnie pursed her lips in consideration of Jeremy's accurate diagnosis of his sister's character. "I think that was the reason why it never worked out between Matt - her best guy friend – and her back in our junior year in high school. And he was such a sweetheart, too but she kept holding back until he just gave up trying one day and settled for just being her best friend. I didn't know _why_ back then, but now, I totally get it!"

Stefan scoffed and then exclaimed proudly, "My brother certainly won't take 'no' for an answer! He's not one to back down from a challenge, _especially_ when it came to something he's passionate about. Trust me, he's _extremely_ passionate about staying married to Elena and he's not going to give up until he has her back."

"Which brings us back to the topic of Jenaric! Get it? Jenna and Ric? Jenaric?" Caroline asked eagerly, glancing around at all the deadpanned faces around the table. "_Seriously_? Not even a pity chuckle? Anyway, we need to move the wedding up to less than two months from now and I've been doing some homework, because let's face it; I'm efficient like that. And I believe I've found the perfect location to have your wedding!" she practically let out a squeal of pleasure as she paused dramatically before blurting out the mysterious location. "How would you like to get married aboard the Norwegian Gem on a two-night cruise to nowhere?" Caroline could hardly contain her excitement as she pronounced every single word slowly before she ended with a little hop on her feet. It was the perfect location because then Elena and Damon would be forced to spend time together and also, they would not be able to leave until the ship docks at the port again. The plan was foolproof!

Hearing her unpredicted plan, Jenna and Ric turned to gaze at one another in shock, both mentally going over the pros and cons of having a wedding aboard a ship. Then, without another word, Ric whipped his head towards Caroline and smiled broadly. "I love it!" he declared happily, ignoring Jenna's worried frown.

"But Ric, can we afford it? I mean, that's a hell of a commitment for a party to help out a friend, you know?" she protested lightly. She didn't have much in terms of savings, and the subject of money never came up between them. She had _no_ idea how much they could actually afford to spend.

Ric's eyes immediately met hers as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he leaned in closer to press a soft kiss on her cheek. "This is not _about_ Damon or Elena, honey. It's _our_ wedding and I only planned to do this _once_ in my life. Don't worry about it. I don't have that many friends and families anyway. My guests list would probably just be you guys and a couple of relatives I still keep in touch with. I'm overpaid at my job as it is! I'm actually earning six hundred dollars a day today, even as I'm sitting here with you guys. Besides, it's different, it's special and also a honeymoon all rolled into one. It's a fantastic idea, Care!" He flicked a grateful look at the proud blonde who had become sort of like a younger sister to him in many ways. She was annoyingly lovable, if that was at all possible.

"Splendid!" Caroline cheered loudly as she bounced up and down on her seat. "I knew you were gonna love it! Sometimes, even _I_ amaze myself! Okay, so the venue is set and I'll set up a meeting with the coordinator tomorrow to discuss on food, entertainment and lodging. Ric, you're in-charge of the guest list, and telling Damon that he's your best man. Jenna, you're gonna have to call Elena and tell her, too." She paused a while and made little notes on her ever-present iPad, presumably getting into her wedding organizer persona. "At the end of this week, Bonnie and I will make a trip down to Richmond and pay our little deserter a visit and go shopping for a nice little bridesmaid dress. Jer, you'll be planning out the decoration and music list for the ceremony while helping Ric with whatever his little heart desires."

Stefan stared at his girlfriend with a huge goofy grin on his face, thoroughly impressed with her amazing organizational skills and ability to get things done just with a snap of her fingers. It was one of the reasons why he was attracted to her in the first place. "Isn't she hot being all dominant and decisive?" he asked to no one in particular as he continued gazing at her, his heart swollen with pride. He failed to notice the synchronized eye rolls from everyone else on the table when no one bothered to respond to his question.

"Caroline, you said that I had a crucial role to play in all this," Elijah reminded. "What is it? You're not expecting me to walk Jenna down the aisle or get ordained as a minister, are you?" He looked genuinely worried for a second but then Caroline's casual shake of her head instantly put his worry at ease.

"Nope! _You_ are responsible for making Damon get off his lazy bum and make himself useful for once. You're going to make him insanely jealous and hopefully, that will wake him up from the funk he's under to fight for Elena. You are going to make Damon Salvatore a new man, one that Elena can't help but to fall in love with all over again," Caroline announced confidently.

"Oh? And _how_ do I do that?"

At Elijah's question, a mischievous grin appeared on Caroline's face, making her look slightly wicked. "I thought you'd _never_ ask!"

* * *

><p>The next evening, everyone gathered at Ric's apartment again, under the guise of an announcement that the engaged couple had to make. So, after a quick and casual dinner at home, the gang gathered around the living room, seemingly to wait for the surprise announcement. When Ric cleared his throat and stood up, six expectant faces gazed up at him from the couches while one subdued face simply stared at him with disinterest.<p>

"Ummm, well, ah, Jenna and I have an announcement to make. You guys know that we've been engaged and that we're also planning our wedding. Well, after much consideration, we have decided on a date," Ric announced with the right amount of hesitation with an excited undertone to his voice. Damon seemed surprised at the direction the announcement was going; in the midst of all his heartbreak, he had completely forgotten about his best friend's impending nuptials with his wife's aunt. A sudden feeling of guilt swept over him for being so self-involved with his own problems that he had failed to care about anyone else. So, he looked up with genuine interest when Jenna stood up to wrap an arm around her fiancée's waist.

"Yes, we will be getting married on October thirteenth onboard a cruise ship and you're _all_ coming with us!" Jenna beamed, a warm happy glow covering her features as she made the announcement. An outsider of the group would not have known that the announcement was planned in advance by every single person that room save for one. The rest of them reacted appropriately surprised and with the right amount of enthusiasm as they jumped up to hug the happy couple.

"Oh my God, that's great, you guys!" Bonnie said as she enveloped Jenna in her arms.

Jeremy joined in soon after. "Finally! I get to call Ric my uncle! Congrats, man!" the youngest Gilbert laughed as he hugged the affronted Ric who had an aversion to the word 'uncle'. It made him feel as if he belonged in a museum, or due to get 'fossilized'!

"A wedding on a cruise ship? That's the _best_ idea I've ever heard! Wow, that's so awesome!" Caroline declared a little too enthusiastically as she leaned in to wrap both Jenna and Ric in a crushing embrace. "What did you think? Too much?" she whispered in their ears as her arms went around both their shoulders.

"Just a tad," Jenna whispered back. After two more congratulatory hugs from Stefan and Elijah, Damon stood up slowly and went to stand in front of Ric, his eyes unnaturally bright with real emotions. It was joy.

"I'm _really_ happy for you, man. You both totally deserve being happy and I'm sure you can bring joy to each other like no other before. I wish you a lifetime of nothing but bliss and your very own family someday soon. There's no other feeling like it in the world, trust me," Damon smiled softly before raising his arms to clasp his best friend against his chest and then press a soft kiss on Jenna's cheek.

Ric nodded in understanding, knowing how hard it was for his buddy, especially when he was on the verge of the very bliss he was referring to himself not two months ago. "I've seen it with my own eyes, Damon, and it _will_ return to you again someday soon. Trust _me._ Oh, and as my _best man_, _you_ get to be in-charge of bachelor's night," he threw out a challenge to the former groom, recalling the cringe-worthy epic failure that was Damon's bachelor night where Ric ended up passed out in a hotel room, naked except for boxers and a pair of socks.

"Really? Even though I'm being Mr. Cranky-pants?" Damon asked, feeling ridiculously thrilled at being _expected_, not even asked, to be a part of Ric's wedding despite his moodiness the past few weeks.

"Of course!" Ric answered without hesitation, as if it was even a question. "I had to make up for not proposing to you, hadn't I?" With that question, an identical grin crossed both their faces, each feeling grateful for the presence of the other in their lives. Seeing the look that they shared, Jenna shook her head and turned away, muttering about gay best friends under her breath.

"So, does Elena know about the latest news yet?" Damon's head instantly whipped over to glower at Elijah when her name was mentioned by the reporter. It was understood that her name wasn't supposed to be mentioned, particularly in front of him.

"Not yet. I figured I'll call her later after you guys go on home," Jenna replied, keeping an eye on Damon's hard features as she spoke. Game on. It was time to carry out Caroline's instructions.

"You should call to let her know now. She could _definitely_ use some good news after the week she'd had," Elijah lied casually, making a show out of glancing at his watch before continuing on. "Yup, she should have reached her apartment and had her shower by now. She's probably watching TV or curled up reading a book again."

The moment his words left is mouth, Damon's reaction was instantaneous; his jaw was clenched tightly, his muscles ticking and his bright blue eyes were hard as he turned around to face the innocent man. "How did you know that? Have you been talking to her?" he demanded possessively. The very idea that another man kept in contact with her while _he_ didn't even know if he was allowed to even call her drove him mad with jealousy.

"Well, yes, of course! We're still friends, Damon. Just because she moved to another state doesn't mean that I can't just pick up the phone and call her," Elijah answered, as if it wasn't obvious. "I worry about her, too, you know? Besides, I wanted to see if she planned to attend the wedding alone and if she needed a ride." That statement was designed to ruffle Damon's feathers, and it was _exactly_ what it did.

"If _anybody_ were to plan her mode of transportation, it would be _me_, her husband. Besides, aren't you going to the wedding with a date who's a little more...masculine?" Damon asked, reminding everyone not-so-subtly about Elijah's sexual preference. Jeez, why can't Elijah decide once and for all which team he was batting for and stop confusing everyone with the question of whether he is or isn't gay? Pick a side, already!

"Look, Damon, we all know how you feel about Elena, but frankly, do you think she'll be impressed with the person you are now? You haven't moved beyond the confines of Ric's apartment and you don't even have a job. You've become this whole other person who prefers to spend time wallowing in his sadness than actually going out to do something about it. I used to think that you were a perfect match for Elena, but now, I'm not so sure. She's a strong young lady who needs a _stronger_ man by her side, and you no longer fit the bill anymore," the reporter's voice was gentle but earnest, without any sign of malice in his deep brown eyes. "I'm sorry, but that's the truth. Given the opportunity, I wouldn't hesitate to let Elena 'straighten' me out."

If looks could kill, then Elijah would be dead on the floor then with his head a few feet away from his body. Such was the intensity of Damon's glare. "Well, then I'd rather you _didn't_. Otherwise, I might have to kick your ass and I happen to like you, damnit! So there'll be no straightening of any kind going on in that homosexual closet of yours, am I clear?" The carefully veiled threat was not lost on the rest of the gang, and so they bit down on their lip to keep from smiling at the victory that was within reach, falling short of one final push to tip him over the edge.

"Crystal," Elijah nodded, his face expressionless except for the brow he raised as he said his next words. "Let's all hope then, that she doesn't fall for anyone else in Richmond while she's rediscovering herself since, you know, she's in such a vulnerable state of mind now. A pretty girl like her shouldn't have any difficulty finding a hard, muscular and straight male shoulder to lean on."

Damon straightened up in alarm at the idea of Elena actually meeting someone else in Richmond, despite what she said about needing time and space to work through her issues alone. Girls like her would have guys clamouring for her attention at any given time, and that thought spurred him on to action at long last.

He shifted his attention from the reporter to his best friend and soon-to-be wife. "Congratulations to you both for your upcoming wedding. I'll help out in any way that I can when the time comes, but for now, thanks for putting up with me here, but I think it's time that I went home. I'm probably going to be busy for the next week or so, but please call me if you need me. Also, please give me an update on Elena when you hear from her, Jenna. And tell her-tell her that I miss her and hope she's doing well over there."

It was the first time that he even volunteered to communicate with her in anyway, even though it _was_ through a third party. The rest of them watched as he hastily picked up his stuff, went into the guest bedroom to pack up everything that belonged to him and with a wave and a small smile, he exited the apartment and back into his own life. A life he planned to rebuild so that the next time Elena sees him, she would be proud of the man he could become. A man she would deem worthy of being loved in return.

Back in the apartment, Elijah had slumped back onto the couch, feeling drained after his Oscar-winning performance to bring two people he cared very much about back together. "Never again! If I hadn't said it before, I'll say it now again; I sincerely regret ever hanging out with you guys."

* * *

><p>She missed him. A lot. Too much, even.<p>

Elena had spent the past one month or so trying valiantly to pick up the pieces of her life and moving on, but somehow her heart wouldn't let her. Her head was saying, "Forget him! Let him be happy! There's no room in his life for a teenager with issues." But at the same time, her heart went, "Don't let go! You deserve to be happy and _he_ made you the happiest you've ever been."

It was official. Her heart and her head will never agree with each other. So, she tried to distract herself from the emptiness in her heart, filling up her time with lessons; cooking and dance. The former, because she wanted to fix whatever that required fixing and learning how to cook was basically a survival skill. _That_ and it gave her a sense of accomplishment that she was no longer the young teenager filled with ineptitude.

As for the latter, the dance lessons were a way for her to lose the post-pregnancy pounds she still carried around when she first arrived in Richmond; lost, alone, utterly heartbroken with no idea how to start the healing process and swollen belly and upper thighs that served as constant reminder of the life she had lost. It was purely by chance that she came across an ongoing dance class in progress, so she stood on the sidewalk, her gaze fixed on a tiny brunette, probably younger than her by about three or four years. What drew her gaze was the expression on the petite girl's face as she danced; it held a freedom and an openness that she hadn't seen in her own face ever since...well, she couldn't even remember when.

The next thing she knew, she was signed up and weeks later, she felt better than she had ever felt for a long time. Her body felt different too; leaner, stronger, and more toned. With the help of some counselling sessions, she began to feel more confident and even able to sleep through the night without waking up in cold sweat, clutching her belly with tears coursing down her face, like she did the first two weeks in her rented apartment.

During the earlier days of her adjustment to life in Richmond, she even woke up in the middle of the night to her own voice, calling out Damon's name and the way her heart dropped in her chest when she looked over to find the empty space beside her before she remembered that she was alone yet again. It was _her_ choice to be alone, but it never stopped her from regretting her decision to leave him at the train station. But then it just proved how unhealthy it had been to be so dependent on him, as if he was the oxygen she required to breathe.

So, she mentally chided herself and made a decision to simply keep herself busy with an independent life and a brave new world. It must have worked, because soon, she was able to crack a small smile and then as time passed, there were days when she was even able to laugh again. Those days, she realized that she didn't even have to force it. She was _feeling_ again, and it was wonderful.

It meant that she was finally moving on.

* * *

><p>The doorbell rang incessantly, snapping Elena from her reverie. She hastily straightened the throw pillows on her couch and smoothed down her hair before inhaling deeply and then proceeded to pull open the door.<p>

"Hey, stranger! We missed you!" exclaimed a familiarly bright voice in her ear as she found herself being surrounded by blonde hair and the tightest embrace ever. "God, you're so tiny now! And this place is crappy _and_ depressing! I much prefer your last address in New York," she blurted out with her usual bluntness as her eyes took in the small apartment.

"Missed you too, Care!" she managed to breathe out before all the air ran out of her lungs. She couldn't believe that she managed to forget how exuberant her friend could be after just five weeks away from the gang. "Okay, can't...breathe!" Thankfully, Caroline released her before she needed an oxygen mask and she quickly turned to her oldest friend in the world.

"Hey, Bon," she greeted,upon seeing her other friend and she went to hug her as well. Seeing both of them here, in her humble apartment, made her realized how much she missed hanging out with them; just talking and over-sharing like they always did.

It also made her miss home.

She sobered at the thought of the home she shared with her husband of almost four months. Had it _only_ been four months? It seemed like a lifetime ago that she walked down the aisle thinking how complicated her life was going to be. Of course, she had _no idea_ at the moment exactly _how_ complicated things would get, but it was a different time back then. _She_ was a different person.

"I can't believe this is really you! How are you doing..._really_?" Bonnie asked, her wide brown eyes regarding Elena with concern as she took in her smaller frame. Her skinny jeans that used to hug her figure now drooped loosely around her skinnier lower body and her collarbones seemed even more defined than before. She was rapidly losing weight, and it didn't look healthy on her.

Pulling her two friends over to the couch, Elena sank down in between them and gave Bonnie a grin that was as cheerful as she could muster, given her melancholy mood. "I'm doing well! I've been taking dancing lessons and I've learned how to cook without burning the whole kitchen down. I'm okay." Her voice sounded hollow even to herself.

"_Really_? You couldn't have taken cooking and dancing lessons back in _New York_?" Caroline rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Come _on_, Elena! It's been over a month, so just _give_ us the dirt already! When are you coming home to Damon? He's completely useless, depressed, and actually sort of boring without you," she admitted with a soft sigh.

One could always count on Caroline to dive right down to business; she wasn't one to beat around the bush.

Elena stiffened at the unexpected mention of his name. She hadn't heard it, or said it out loud in weeks, and hearing it now made her blood run cold at the thought of him; she missed him, but she couldn't allow herself to think that way. She couldn't regress. Elena knew that the girls were there to gain some insight to the couple's status, but she didn't think that the subject would pop up quite so soon.

"H-how _is_ he? Is he okay?" she finally asked, hesitating slightly.

"Do you even _care_?" Caroline burst out indignantly, feeling slightly exasperated at the brunette on behalf of her god-brother. True, she was also Elena's friend, but in this case, she simply couldn't act as an impartial third-party, not when she witnessed the agony Damon had been going through the past few weeks.

It wasn't fair at all what Elena had put him through; deliberately or inadvertently, she'd hurt him. Caroline firmly believed that come rain or shine, married couples should work through it together, not alone and with a few hundred miles apart. The trial separation wasn't helping anyone; it _certainly_ wasn't helping Damon.

"I mean, you left the man standing at a platform staring after the train you got on the day after his daughter's funeral! How did you _expect_ him to be, having the time of his life with a bunch of drunken cheerleaders?" Caroline sighed, her shoulders sagging a bit. "Elena, you practically ripped the guy's heart, tore it into pieces and fed it back to him piece by broken piece through his _nostrils_! He's miserable and he's hurting and it's all because you wouldn't stay to try to work things out with him like a wife should!" Caroline was in one of her no-holds-barred sessions seeing that the opportunity presented itself and she was going to have her say, whether Elena liked it or not.

"Caroline!" Bonnie scolded, shaking her head vehemently, and trying to communicate to the blonde to lay off Elena. They weren't here for that; at least, not until they were done with what Jenna had sent them there to do which was to find a bridesmaid dress for Elena.

"No, Bonnie, she _has_ to hear this." Two birds, one stone. Find the dress _and_ find out whether or not there was even something left in Elena that was worth going through all of this. She knew there _was_ something there – it was Elena and Damon for crying out loud, but Caroline had to force it out of her.

"Otherwise," the blonde continued, "she won't realize what a selfish brat she was being by running away instead of staying back to confront her issues _with_ her husband," Caroline argued back, scowling at Bonnie who seemed at a loss to stop what could possibly be the end of a beautiful friendship between her two best friends. Honestly, at the rate Caroline was going, it wouldn't be classified as a word-vomit; it was statement-vomit!

As expected, Caroline turned her full attention to the nervous Elena, blasting her with her accusing gaze. "Elena, we all love you, so much, and we completely understand what you're going through. But we think that you're making the biggest mistake of your _life_ by leaving Damon at such a crucial time in your relationship. We get it, we _really_ do, but how are lessons in dancing and cooking helping you cope with the loss of your child and a marriage that is falling apart at the seams?" Caroline's voice softened at the sight of her friend's pain-filled eyes, but she wasn't going to spare her this time. It was time they all stopped skipping around Elena. "You basically moved to Richmond just to avoid confronting the real issue, and you're scared shitless."

It was a long, awkward silence after Caroline's accurate conclusion. Bonnie merely looked on, tongue-tied and half-expecting a nuclear warfare to erupt right in Elena's living room. As for the other brunette, she simply lowered her eyes to stare at the patterns on the throw pillow she was clutching tightly in her grip while biting down on her lower lip nervously.

"...You're right," Elena finally admitted softly, raising glistening eyes to meet Caroline's. "I _was_ scared, and that's why I ran. But I'm glad I did because I would have made him - Damon - miserable if I had stayed in the mental condition I was in. Anyway, _that_ felt good, saying his name out loud finally. It shows that the counselling sessions are helping, anyway," she shrugged casually, not realizing the importance of her latest admission.

"Wait, you're getting counselling?" Bonnie asked in surprise.

Elena nodded with a tiny smile. "Twice a week. It was difficult to talk about everything that happened at first. I couldn't get through it without breaking down at least once per session. My therapist insisted that I try to write it all out in my journal anyway even if I can't say it out loud. At least I got it out somehow, and he was right; once I had it all written down, I felt loads better and I even read some parts of it out loud to him. Reading back at what I wrote, it gave me a sense of finality; like it was a chapter in my life that was over and done with. Like if I managed to survive all that, I could survive anything, you know?" Her two friends nodded silently, listening intently to her and feeling relief at the fact that Elena was finally moving on from the terrible ordeal she had suffered from.

"It certainly gave me a third person's point of view on everything I said and did, about the situation, about the baby and most of all, about Damon. I handled it all very poorly and I know I owe him a lot for walking out on him. But if this time apart is what I needed to gain some perspective and find my way back, then don't you guys think that I owed it to myself to take it?" she went on, opening herself up in a way that she never did before.

"Wow," Bonnie breathed out after recovering from dropping her jaw at the sudden change in her best friend. "You sound much more calm and at peace now than ever! You definitely sound like you know what you're talking about. That must be one hell of a therapist! Is he cute like Dr. Hotness?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

"He is, but in a creepy way. He keeps staring at my legs," Elena admitted with a thoughtful look.

Caroline's jaw hit the floor."Elena Gilbert! You are _not_ allowed to date anyone else, got it? _Especially_ not Dr. Creepy-Legs-Man! You're married to an amazing guy whom I love dearly so no dating anybody except if his name starts with a 'D' and ends with 'mon', got it? Oh, but I'm so incredibly proud of your mental health progress and I'm sorry if I was being Ms. Hard-Ass on you earlier. You know that all I want is for you to be happy, right?" Caroline asked, her personality changed from Ms. Hard-Ass to Ms. Sweet-and-Lovely within the blink of an eye.

Elena chuckled out loud this time. "Sometimes, I can't really tell but I _do_ know that you're just looking out for me. Besides, it's not every day that I have permission to date a 'demon' while still married to an amazing guy," she teased as Caroline rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure what kind of kinky role-plays you two were up for, but whatever name you call out during sex is none of my business, surprising enough! Oh, hang on, I have a message," Caroline said as she fished around her bag for her mobile phone. "Well, what do you know? It's 'Demon' himself!"

Elena's ears perked up as she watched her friend's thumbs flew across the small screen as she typed a reply.

**Damon: **_Hey. Heard U were in Richmond. How is she?_

**Caroline: **_She's lost a lot of weight, but doing ok._

**Damon: **_What? Why?__Has she not been eating? Sleeping?_

**Caroline: **_Why don't U call her and ask her urself? I'm not ur informer!_

**Damon: **_I'm asking U, Care! Tell me!_

**Caroline: **_Ugh! She's better now that she's spent a few sessions on the crotch of a the rapist. _

**Damon: **_SHE'S DOING WHAT WITH WHO?_

**Caroline: **_Oopsie. Couch not crotch. HAHA. __Damn auto-correct._

**Damon: **_Why the fuck was she on a couch with a RAPIST? !_

**Caroline: **_WHAT RAPIST? T-H-E-R-A-P-I-S-T! What's wrong with U? _

She waited for his reply but it didn't come even after a few minutes. She frowned a little at his silence and then typed again.

**Caroline: **_Damon? U there? Hellooooo?_

Elena and Bonnie were discussing about Jenna and Ric's wedding in the background but every few seconds, Elena would sneak a peek at Caroline, incredibly curious about her husband's communication with her. After a while, Caroline worriedly typed another message again.

**Caroline: **_Hello? Did U drop the phone? Damon?!_

When it became obvious that she wasn't going to get a reply, she set down her phone dejectedly. "I think I may have killed your husband, Elena," she admitted guiltily, causing Elena to stare sharply at her in alarm. "Who knew that a typo and a single spacing could be dangerous?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>(October 13th on board the Norwegian Gem Cruise Liner) <strong>_

"Jeez, Damon, will you just relax?" Ric addressed the nervous man who was fidgeting all over the place as they stood at the reception area of the ship. "She's coming home. As we speak, Elena's coming back! You'll have three whole days to see her, so just take a chill pill and breathe," he advised. Really, one would think that the Damon was the groom instead of the extremely calm sandy-haired man beside him, from the way he was acting.

"You're right," Damon huffed, running a hand through his hair. "You're absolutely right. Besides, this cruise isn't even _about_ me and Elena. No, it's about you and Jenna and the fact that you're getting married tomorrow. You'll be so happy and your life will be so perfect. I'm really glad that you've found the love of your life, Ric," Damon gave him one of his rare genuine smiles as he clapped his buddy on the back in a moment of bromance before he suddenly remembered why he was so jumpy in the first place.

"Where the hell is mine? Do you think that she changed her mind?" He resumed his fidgeting and then added some pacing around the timber decked floor for further proof of his anxiousness.

"Wow, you managed to finally come out of your clouds to focus on somebody else for a change for like two seconds before diving back head first into Elena-land. I think we've got ourselves a new record," Ric remarked sarcastically, shaking his head at 'Mr. Pacey-Fidgetson'. "Unlike you, Elena knows that the next three days are Jenna's most important moments of her life, so yes, she _will_ come. And look, there's Jeremy now," Ric gestured with a tilt of his head towards the youngest Gilbert who was carrying two sets of luggage bags with Bonnie right behind him.

Seeing Jeremy, Damon visibly relaxed and kept his attention at the ramp at the side of the ship where passengers embark onto the deck. He was waiting for the first glimpse of her, for the face that haunted his nights when he wasn't busy working in his new office. His heart skipped a beat when he saw a female figure appearing on the deck, but then his body slumped in defeat when he recognized Caroline, the girl who almost gave him a heart attack with her text messages. Not surprisingly, Stefan followed soon after with a huge neon pink luggage, presumably Caroline's, and another black smaller one.

Then, there was a group of elderly people whom he didn't know but _wanted_ to know, just so that he can tell them off for walking so slowly up the ramp. A few agonizing minutes later, the elderly group who unknowingly just escaped a horrible death by the hands of a raven-haired man, moved towards the other end of the deck and his view of the deck was once again unblocked. However, his brows furrowed into a frown when he caught sight of Elijah, talking and laughing to someone behind him while he manoeuvred two luggage bags and a suit draped over his arm. And then the rest of the world ceased to exist for Damon when _her_ flowing long locks appeared into his view, her broad smile filling his vision.

He almost forgot to breathe for a moment when his blue eyes took stock of Elena's appearance as she stepped onto the deck; she was dressed in a long blue wrap-around skirt that was billowing around her long legs in the breeze, and a sleeveless white blouse with a dark blue bikini top under it. She was even more beautiful than he remembered her to be, but much too skinny. It was obvious that she had lost most of her post-pregnancy weight, but she was even thinner than the time he first met her. His heart squeezed tightly at the thought of her not taking care of herself without him.

He watched as she turned back and called out laughingly to someone else, and then he froze when he realized who it was; Dr. Hotness! Without meaning to, his legs carried him to the glass windows where he could get a clearer view of the three most attractive people on deck. He kept his eyes on them, still watching even as they made their way towards the entrance of the reception area, Elena now sandwiched between the two men with her hands linked with theirs.

The room turned cold the moment the three made their entrance, making their way towards Stefan, Caroline, Jeremy and Bonnie at the counter that was at least ten feet away from him. Damon didn't even notice when the rest of them entered the room before her. He was just blown away by the fact that she had arrived not only with one, but _two_ dates to the wedding. All he could do was to just stare at her profile as she spoke to the rest of the group and hugged Ric when she reached him. He saw her smile at his best friend and then Ric said something to her, causing her to turn her head slightly to meet his shocked eyes.

The moment their gazes locked, time stood still for a moment, and it brought Damon back to the last time their eyes met; it was on the platform of the train station when he thought that he was too late to catch her before she left. He had run to hug her _then_, but he would rather French kiss Elijah than to hug her _now_, after the way things ended at the train station.

Everything changed though when she gave him a hesitant smile, and then separated herself from the group to make her way over to him. _That's right, she _should_ have made the first step and came to him_, his wounded pride told him. So, he waited motionlessly, watching their distance close until she was finally two feet away.

"Hi," she greeted softly, the soft smile still on her features. Good Lord Almighty! If seeing her from far made the world stop turning and his heart stop pumping, then hearing her voice made him want to sink down onto his knees and weep with joy. But he didn't, because his pride for one thing was still wounded and holding a bear of a grudge, and also, almost every pair of eyes in the reception area was focused on them. So he did the next best thing.

"Hi." Jeez, has his voice always sounded so squeaky and high? He sounded like he _just_ hit puberty and his voice was only now breaking.

Despite having gotten the awkward first word out, neither of them seemed to know what else to say, so they continued staring into each other's eyes, each attempting to read the other's mind for a clue as to how to proceed next. No clues were needed, however, when another voice suddenly spoke up from behind her.

"The cabins are ready, Damon. Do you wanna go get settled in now?" Rose asked, her attention temporarily distracted by the keys in her hands and so she did not notice Elena right in front of her until she almost walked into her.

"Oh, hello Elena. I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," her tone was apologetic but her eyes were shifting between the two of them, uncertain how to act now.

Elena didn't bother to respond, but kept her gaze on Damon's expressions, one of which was disappointment. He then averted his eyes and nodded at Rose, who was standing uneasily beside Elena. "Yeah, let's go," he answered before making his way past Elena to get his luggage from where he left it beside Ric.

Sensing his reluctance to even be around her, Elena's mind was churning with indecisions. Obviously, she had to make the first move, since she had hurt him deeply the last time they were together. She didn't blame him for not wanting their first conversation taking place in such a public place and in front of everyone else.

And what the hell was that with Rose? She also had no idea if she was here as his date or as a colleague of Ric's, or whatever, and although the sudden surge of jealousy was threatening to overrule her mind, she knew that they were in this mess because of assumptions and the lack of opportunity for explanations. From the divorce papers experience, she also learned the hard way not to jump to conclusions because sometimes, things really weren't what they seemed to be.

Obviously, her counselling sessions were paying off as she began to see things clearly for the first time. There was no room for errors or misunderstandings anymore. She had to know the truth and whatever it was, she could handle it. If he had indeed moved on, then she had a right to know now so that they could both be clear about where they stood and at least would be able to have a clear head to deal with the next three days onboard the cruise ship. So, she did something different for once.

She decided to be brave.

"Damon, wait!" she called out just as he was about to enter the elevator with Rose, Stefan and Caroline. By the time he turned around in response to his name, she felt like she aged a few months; time moved _that_ slowly.

"I think you and I need to talk...in private." As soon as the words left her mouth, she could hear a collective sigh of relief from her group of friends. They must have been waiting for her to say that as soon as she stepped onboard.

Damon hesitated for a second, his gaze flew over to Ric's for some moral support, and then seeing an almost imperceptible nod of encouragement, he squared his shoulders and met her gaze again.

"I think you're right. We _do_ need to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>Tune in next chapter for their intense talk (Damon's going to get a few things off his chest and NO! It's not his chest hair!) and the wedding scene where a few adorable (In MY opinion, that is!) things are going to happen. <strong>

**R-E-V-I-E-W if you prefer not to have bloaty head and Bamon shipping syndrome. **

**My twitter: cgsa_cher **


	40. Chapter 40

**DISCLAIMER: Would like to apologise as I couldn't fit the whole wedding scene into this chapter. Part two of the wedding will be in the next chapter and then an epilogue to follow after that. And then it's bye bye Separate Beds! *sob sob***

**My love to Kate (This Is My Escape) who is a great author and also a great beta! Please check out her stories and review!**

**My love to Kristi (tukct81) who offered me some great advice and for distracting me on Skype. Check out her stories too!**

**Also to all my regular reviewers; you guys rock – of Bruce Springsteen proportions!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 40: When A Man Loves A Woman (Part One)<strong>

"I think you're right. We _do_ need to talk," Damon sighed softly, casting a furtive look around at their audience who hastily looked away and tried to look busy when they noticed his eyes on them.

"Umm, I'm sharing a room with Bonnie, and yours is probably not..." Elena trailed off, her weight shifting from one foot to the other as she shot a hesitant glance over to Rose who still remained standing by the elevator.

Damon gave her a negative shake of his head, saying, "It's fine. We'll go to mine." With that, he reached over to take one of the keys from Rose's palm and entered the elevator, pressing the lift button to hold the doors open while waiting for Elena to join him. "I'll talk to you later, Rose," he called out just as his wife entered the small space beside him and then they were on their own, away from the curious eyes.

As the elevator moved, neither of them dared to speak, fearing that their fragile truce would be broken just like that. They also avoided looking at each other, knowing that one of the most prominent emotions that lingered there were pain in hers and betrayal in his. And so the silence dragged on until finally, Elena couldn't stand the awkward moment anymore and decided, to hell with consequences.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, but in the thick silence in the small enclosed space, her voice sounded unnaturally loud anyway. "I didn't mean to interrupt your plans with Rose."

Damon jolted as he glanced at her in surprise at her sudden speech, almost forgetting that she was right there beside him, as lost in his own thoughts as he was. "It can wait," he replied curtly, his eyes staring straight up at the blinking LED number on the small screen on top, signalling their arrival at his floor. "After you."

Elena clamped her mouth shut at his less-than-friendly tone as they left the elevator behind, knowing full well that she deserved every bit of his animosity. She wasn't looking forward to their conversation at all, but it had to be done since she was the one who made a mess of things, and now she had to face the music.

From the months that she had known him, even during their estranged period directly after their wedding, he hadn't been this cold towards her. She could handle Damon yelling at her, she'd even _expected_ him to, but this cold indifference he was throwing at her...it actually seemed to frighten her a little.

By now, they'd reached his door and she watched silently while he unlocked it and pushed the door open so that they could step into the unexpectedly spacious suite, complete with a small sitting area, a queen-sized bed and all the common amenities found in other cabins along with sliding doors that led to the balcony outside.

Belatedly, she realized that she didn't have her own luggage with her as she had left it with Elijah back at the reception lobby and since she was so worried about seeing Damon again, it didn't seem that important at the time.

Damon lifted up his own luggage and placed it on the gear rack, watching her from the corner of his eyes as she walked over to the sitting area and then the bed as if she was undecided between the two. She finally settled down on the brightly coloured sofa, taking her time to arrange her long skirt around her. Left with no other choice other than to join her, Damon cautiously approached her and leaned against the armrest of the other sofa, putting a safe distance between them with the presence of a round coffee table.

Mentally chiding herself for being even more nervous than her own wedding day, she finally looked up to find him staring down at her with his arms crossed over his chest defensively. She swallowed audibly before uttering, "H-how are you?" It was the safest question she could come up with at the time.

"I'd say I'm doing just dandy, you know - given the circumstances," he answered instantly, his face remaining blank, not giving her one ounce of emotion. Elena wished he didn't have to make it so difficult for her to say what she'd come to say, what with his answers being so ambiguous, providing no clue as to what he was feeling at the moment. Body language was the best way to figure that out though, and judging him by his rigid stance, Elena assumed the following: _Hurt and anger_.

"Look, Damon," Elena sighed, throwing her pride out the window or in this case, the sliding doors. "I won't make the same mistake as I did three months ago and make any assumptions, so I'm just going to go ahead and ask you; is Rose here as your date?"

Now that the burning question was out in the open, she braced herself for whatever answer he was about to give her and made a pact with herself to address every single issue between them before she left this room.

"Seriously?" Damon scoffed in disbelief. "_That's_ your main concern after not seeing me for three whole months?" He shook his head as he let out a humourless chuckle. "You're one to talk, Elena. _Two_ dates at once to your aunt's wedding? Making up for lost time, are we?" His jaw hardened and his eyes turned darker as he pinned her down with just one look, even though his tone had been contradicting it with that of a teasing one.

She stared at him in confusion as she tried to process what he said, although at the back of her mind, she noted that he didn't _actually_ answer her question about Rose. "Two dates? I didn't-" she'd started to say before she realized what he'd meant, the reason for his coldness and the wrong assumption he must have derived from seeing her arrive with Elijah and Kol together. That damned assumption again! It was one of the main reasons their marriage fell apart when it did. She would have loved to kick assumption on its ass!

"I'm not here with _anyone_, Damon. Kol is actually Elijah's date. Besides, I was told that I wasn't _allowed_ to date anyone unless his name starts with a 'D' and ends with 'amon'. Apparently, Caroline thought that she had to remind me that I was married," Elena rolled her eyes at the memory of her two best friends' visit to Richmond a little over a month before.

Damon looked stunned at the revelation she exposed with that statement, his eyes widening with shock as his previous jealousy was entirely forgotten in light of this news. "Dr. Hotness? With Elijah?" he asked sceptically, unable to wrap his head around the idea. "He's gay? But he has so much access to puss – to women," he corrected hastily, feeling foolish for being jealous over the obstetrician's proximity to his wife all those months ago.

"I know," Elena nodded, feeling a bit satisfied that she was getting him to respond. "I was shocked, too. Supposedly, Elijah had some kind of gay-dar, so he just asked Kol out one day and that was all it took," she smiled warmly at the thought of her good friend finding love. He was finally able to move on from his vengeful fixation on Katherine now that the case was over with. She didn't know what happened with the culprits, but she was guessing that it wasn't the time to dwell on such things when her marriage was still in tatters.

Seeing the smile on her face, Damon was further reminded of how much weight she had lost after watching the way her cheeks hollowed and the sharp edges of her jaw line. "You've lost so much weight," he commented suddenly, catching Elena off-guard with his abrupt change in topic when his eyes swept over her body in a scrutinizing manner.

"Yes," she swallowed. "I signed up for some dance lessons to work off some of the weight from the, uh...the pregnancy and I guess I wasn't eating well, either. It has been a tough time, Damon, but I'm much better now," she admitted, nodding her head as if to convince him of that fact.

"_Are_ you? Better?" Damon lifted a brow and tilted his head as he studied her closely, noting the way she avoided his eyes as she fidgeted uneasily.

And there it was; the elephant in the room. The polite chit-chat was over and now it was time to get to the nitty-gritty of the issues that separated them even further than just the physical space between them in that small seating area.

Taking a shaky breath, Elena bit her lip before finally coming out with it. "You have _no_ idea how hard it was for me to leave you at the house that morning, Damon. And _then_ at the train station," she cried out, her mind bringing her back to the memories of the morning she left him – no, abandoned him. "God, you couldn't _possibly_ imagine how much it pained me to hurt you like that when you didn't deserve any of it. I was depressed and I was convinced that I would do more harm than good if I stayed in that house with you. You wouldn't have recognized me even if I was standing right in front of you. Hell, _I_ didn't even recognize _myself_! I felt as if _I_ was the one who died, Damon, and for weeks after, I wished that I _had_ died. I wanted to."

"How could you _ever_ want that for yourself?" he questioned angrily. "How could you ever consider it?" His horror-filled expression spoke volumes of his opinion of her confession; that her love for him wasn't enough to convince her to survive, that _he_ wasn't enough.

"There's no way you'd ever understand what I felt then," she said sadly. "You just...you'd never be able to."

"Well then, _make_ me understand!" he burst out in frustration. They were going around in circles, not even close to providing the answers both of them desperately needed to understand each other. He needed more from her to even attempt to bridge the wide chasm between them at that moment, but she wasn't giving him anything that would enable him to do that. "You keep saying that I didn't know, or would _never_ understand how you felt, but you never once even try to make me understand the things you went through. You just decided to up and leave one morning without ever giving me a choice in the matter!"

Elena frowned, and her eyes were stinging with unshed tears. Her throat tightened to fight them off. "I-I know you're angry but I-" she started to protest but he cut her off before she could start her feeble attempt at an explanation again.

"No shit, Elena! _Of course_ I'm angry," he exclaimed as he shook his head firmly, his penetrating eyes boring into hers. "You know what? You've had your say at the train station. It's _my_ turn to talk now." Damon straightened up and suddenly moved closer to Elena, forcing her to lean back in fear at his hardened expression as he sat down on the coffee table directly facing her.

"Something _horrible_ happened to us, Elena. Our baby died in a still-birth. We _both_ lost our daughter and I almost lost you, too, in the process. The _way_ we handled that loss, though…Elena, we handled it in the worst possible way. I'm angry that you pushed me away when I needed you the most! I'm angry because you didn't make any effort to _allow_ me to understand what you went through. And what about what _I_ went through, huh? Did you ever once consider _my_ feelings when you decided to hop on the next train to Richmond?"

Damon paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as she stared at him with watery eyes. Now that he had allowed his pent-up frustrations to come out in the open, he realized that he had been harbouring a deep resentment towards her for the choices she had made. And he realized that his ranting was only the _beginning_ of the hurt still deep inside him.

"I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving. I thought I was _protecting_ you," she muttered, beads of tears starting to make their way down her cheeks.

"Bullshit, Elena!" he bit out angrily. "You left because you didn't want to face reality, so you took the cowardly way out by ignoring everything and everyone you left behind. You said I didn't understand what you went through, but neither did _you_! When you left, I replayed that train station scene in my head, over and over again and I wondered if I could have said or done something to change your mind. And then I realized that there was _nothing_ that could stop you from getting onto that train because you'd already decided everything on your own," Damon told her in a sad voice, as if all the fight had drained out of him and he just couldn't stay angry anymore. He was tired of it. "You decided to leave to make yourself feel better instead of sticking around and working through it with your me. That's not what a marriage is, Elena."

Seeing a tear slip over her cheek, Damon continued. If she was feeling sorry for herself, good. If she was regretting her actions, great. He needed to tell her how he felt and what he had to say. "A marriage is about communication. It's about compromise and committing to stay together even with all the fights instead of running away to sort it out on your own. Every couple fights but they also need to work through it together. I can't fight with you when you're not even here for me to fight with. You need to understand that, Elena," he explained patiently.

Shaking her head at his lecture, she felt her own anger rise up to the surface, her eyes now blazing at him as she leaned forward. "Excuse me, while I take a moment to pause at the blatant hypocrisy here!" she hissed, her tone full of bitterness. Her words caught him off guard at her outburst. "You are lecturing me on the importance of communication in a marriage when you _yourself_ didn't even practice what you preach! Were you communicating when I had to find out from Katherine on our wedding night about the supposed sham that was our marriage? Were you communicating when you forged _our_ divorce papers to throw her off your back and _didn't_ tell me about it? Were you communicating when you suspected that I was having an affair behind your back with Elijah and hired a private investigator to _spy_ on me instead of coming to ask me about it?"

Her chest heaved when she was done with her heated tirades, her eyes filling with angry tears again after her emotional outburst. "Oh, I understand all about compromise, Damon. It's when you love a person so much that you'd be willing to do _anything_ for them, even if it means you have to set them free, to find happiness even if it's not with you." Her eyes, so filled with pain and regret, lifted to meet his, rendering him speechless at the naked truth he found in them. "It was because I _loved_ you that I couldn't be selfish with you. I'd rather have suffered in silence than to drag you down _with_ me. I left because I wanted you to be happy. You deserve that, and a family. I c-can't give you that." She burst into tears at the end of that sentence, her heart pulling at her to tell him the real truth about why she left, that she wasn't able to conceive again. She wanted to tell him then, but the huge lump in her throat forced her to remain silent.

"What are you _talking_ about? We _were_ a family; we still _are_! We may not have been successful during our first pregnancy, but we could always try again. Baby Elizabeth will _always_ be our first daughter, but there can be others too. As soon as you were fully recovered, I would have given you a second child, then a third. Hell, I would have given you a whole football team if you wanted me to, had you not left!"

At his words, Elena shook her head fiercely, her lower lip quivering from the herculean effort it took her not to cry out in anguish. But she _had_ to tell him the truth. She owed him that, at least. Even her therapist agreed with her that honesty was always the best policy when it came to something that would impact both their lives so drastically. She knew it, but yet she couldn't bear to break his heart that way, not when he already hated her so much for trying to give him a chance at a normal life.

Damon fought down the urge to wrap his arms around her tightly at the sight of her quivering lips and tear-filled eyes. He's always had a soft spot for her Bambi-like eyes, but to couple that with a cascading waterfall of fresh tears? He didn't stand a chance but he stubbornly held on to his pride anyway.

"Please don't cry, because I hate seeing you cry," he said softly, his voice as soft as a caress now. "It makes me wanna pull you into my arms and let you stain my best shirt. Also, I'm trying my best to not like you at the moment and you're making it extremely hard for me. Whatever it is, it can't be _that_ bad, right?"

As soon as he said that, Elena released such a heartbreaking wail, burying her crumpling face in her hands as she wept. Her reaction was so unexpected that it sent him to his feet in alarm, his hand reaching out towards her in an automatic response to soothe her, until he heard her next devastating words.

"I ca-I can't conceive anymore, Damon," she confessed brokenly through her shaky fingers. "I _can't_ give you a family like you wanted. I'm nineteen years old and I'm barren. What kind of future can we have together if I can't give you children?" Damon's hands stilled midway to her shoulder and he stood there frozen as he processed what she just disclosed to him. He sank back down in front of her and then a chill came over him.

"Th-that's why you left?" he asked, stunned. Everything was starting to make sense now. He had it all wrong, somehow. She never left for some selfish reason of wanting to deal with her issues; she did it to protect him, because she thought that he deserved someone else.

Elena nodded through her tears and the curtain of hair that separated her from his gaze. "Our baby was the only link I had to you. She was the one true thing that ensured that our family would be together forever. And when I lost her..." she trailed off unevenly, her body racking with sobs again.

"You thought you'd lose me, too," Damon finished for her, feeling sick to his stomach. She was right; he couldn't even begin to understand what she must have felt when she miscarried after finding those damned divorce papers, thinking that at some point, he wanted to leave her. And then _later_, to find out that she was not able to conceive again after losing the _only_ baby she would ever have...

Damon took a deep breath, running a hand over his face. "I, umm...I need some time to think," he said suddenly as he retreated towards the entrance of the cabin. The mixed feelings came to him all at once; the guilt, the despair, the hurt, and the compassion he felt for her, all weighing down on him in that one moment. It was too much.

Surprised that he would actually leave her there alone in his room without even coming to a conclusion about their relationship, Elena managed to lift her head up and squint through blurry eyes at him. "But, Damon-"

"I'm sorry, Elena. You asked me for time when you needed it, and I gave it to you. Now please, just...show me that same courtesy." And then he left the room, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving her to fall apart without him.

* * *

><p>As soon as he was out of the constricting room, Damon slumped backwards weakly, leaning his head back on the closed door. His eyes closed as he felt his heavy heart thud guiltily inside his chest. He didn't mean to tear into her the way he did, but apparently, there was a lot of deep-seated anger inside of him that he didn't even realized he had. And then she had told him the truth as to why she left and that revelation hit him harder than he'd ever thought possible, making him feel like a bastard for being angry at her in the first place.<p>

Now, as he stood there, hearing her sobs through the door, the memory of the previous time he had heard her cry with such agony emerged in his mind. It was the day after their wedding, when they had unwrapped Katherine's crude wedding gift as a cruel joke at Elena's expense, and he had hurt her by suggesting that he should keep Kat as his girlfriend since his relationship with his wife was strictly platonic. He had spoken out of retaliation at the time, but nonetheless the effect was the same. He had hurt her deeply _then_ and numerous times after, but she _had_ forgiven him. And after that night, they had the most blissful three months together since then.

Elena had shown enormous compassion to him when there were times when he didn't even deserve it. She was right when she said that he hadn't been completely forthright about some things since the start of their relationship. He had done some pretty stupid things with regards to her; his poor judgement was almost always clouded by his love for her.

But was what she did to him really as bad as it seemed? He had practically yelled at her for being depressed after a traumatic event in her young life and for running when she didn't know how to handle it. Now that the true reason for her decision to skip town was revealed, could he really hold it against her for being self-sacrificing for _his_ sake? People of lesser strength would have collapsed in a heap from the despair of finding out such devastating news, but not _her_. Not _his_ Elena. No, his Elena went above and beyond anybody he'd ever known with the strength to suffer in silence and letting him hate her, and then to come back months later to face him and endure his bitterness... she was just so heartbreakingly perfect!

And Damon had left her to fall apart on her own. She was a nineteen year-old teenager, crying her heart out in his room, thinking that he had deserted her for not being able to give him a family and maybe even had already moved on, but yet she was still brave enough to face him. He shouldn't be out there in the hallway; he should be on the other side of the door, comforting her. Man, he felt like the biggest asshole that ever lived! Yes, in _that_ moment, he felt like the one person he _never_ wanted to be. His father.

"Dammit!" he swore under his breath.

He turned around and quietly re-entered the room, unnoticed by the sobbing woman before him. The moment the sound of the door clicking close reached her ears, she looked up in surprise, her eyes puffy and nose red from all the crying she'd been doing. And then seeing him standing there just staring at her guiltily, Elena jumped to her feet and wiped her wet cheeks, her mascara smeared and looking like a mess; a beautiful mess.

"I thought you needed some time," she whispered, her voice hoarse but hopeful as she struggled to regain control of her emotions.

"I did, and I took it. Apparently, I'm much better at time management than you are," he answered with a slight twitch at the corners of his lips. Hope soared in her heart at the sight of his tiny smile; perhaps it was a sign of truce or even forgiveness on his part. It was all she dared to hope for now.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out suddenly, needing to apologize for everything she did to hurt him. "I know it was wrong for me to do the things I did, for running away, for pushing you away at the hospital, for hurting you and then to come back after all this time and act like I had a right to ask you about your date...I'm sosorry, Damon. Truly," she said quietly, her faint voice barely able to be heard from where he was standing by the door.

"I'm sorry, too," Damon responded, leaving it up to her interpretation as to what he was apologizing for. The list was endless, and it was more of a general apology than just _one_ thing that he did. Seeing her distraught expression, he took pity on her and moved closer until he was standing right beside her next to the couch. She was watching him warily, unsure what he was going to say or do now that he knew the truth.

Again, he surprised her by asking her about the time she spent in Richmond as he pulled her down onto the couch so that they ended up sitting side-by-side. "So, did you have any other epiphanies on those therapy sessions back in Richmond?"

"Actually, yes. It was hard...at first, to talk about what happened that night when I started bleeding," Elena drew a shaky breath as she began to recount her experience with her therapist. "It was terrifying, it was painful and it was agonizing when I realised that I was losing her. And then there was the whole divorce issue and then John making me feel worthless...it was all too much," she admitted sadly. "But then my therapist thought it would be a good idea to write it all down in a journal and that's what I did, and it helped me realize how foolish I was for all the wrong choices I made. It helped me deal with a lot of insecurities about my own inadequacies and now, I'm beginning to feel _less_ guilty for _wanting_ to be happy, you know?"

Damon gave a sigh and leaned over to wipe the wetness from her cheeks, his fingers gentle as they grazed her skin. "You shouldn't _have_ to feel guilty for wanting to be happy, Elena. We _all_ deserve it, given all the crap we've been through this year." His voice had gone lower as he spoke, his eyes darkening the moment his skin touched hers.

"But you must think that I'm such a weak person, for doing what I did," Elena said, unconsciously leaning in to his feather-light touches.

With a small smile, Damon leaned in closer still, his face mere inches from hers and admitted, "Actually, I think you're pretty terrific." For a moment, they just sat there staring at each other, their gaze locked and then her attention shifted lower to his perfectly moulded lips, watching them part as she held her breath, afraid to move. His face lowered a fraction of an inch causing their breaths to mingle when she finally had the sense to breathe or risk passing out in his arms.

At the very last second before their lips touched, Damon stiffened and then pulled back, watching her face fell with disappointment on her features. "In the spirit of honesty, I have a confession, too," he told her when she straightened herself to put some much-needed distance between them on the couch. She almost looked afraid to hear what he was going to say, but she steeled her nerves anyway and nodded her encouragement for him to continue.

"In hindsight, I suppose we _needed_ some time apart to gain some perspectives," he frowned slightly as he tried to organize his scattered thoughts after his brief distraction with their almost-kiss. "I don't know if Caroline or anyone else told you this, but I'm ashamed to admit that I fell completely apart the moment you got on that train. It was as if I ceased to function at all; I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't even go home because every single thing in that house reminded me of you. I stayed at Ric's place for a while and I basically did nothing but mope and pined away for you, for the life we had before everything happened. I was useless!" He sounded utterly disgusted with himself when he said it, almost as if he couldn't recognize himself as he looked back on the memories.

"But something Elijah and Caroline said, something about how I should be getting off my ass and do something that would make you proud of me...it resonated deep within me when they said it. And that's what I did; I packed up my shit and moved back home and I began to rebuild my life, thinking all the while that you'd be proud of me when and _if_ you ever came back, knowing that I did everything for _you_. But then, I started to realize that I was missing the point of the whole separation exercise." He looked at her then, his expression thoughtful.

"You were absolutely right when you said that you needed to discover your own strength without outside influence. I knew _then_ that I have also always lived my life for other people; my father, for one. And then there's Kat, but only for the sake of the company. That's when I decided once and for all that I wasn't going to do things for other people anymore. What I needed to do was to make _myself_ proud of my own success first and I started with my own company. I kept myself busy with finding an office, setting things up and hiring people to get things started." His face brightened up considerably at the thought of his newest endeavour. "I must say that it feels great, _uplifting_ even not to have to live up to anyone's expectations other than my own."

Elena studied the changed man in front of her, feeling a sense of pride for his newly discovered life mission. "I'm proud of you, Damon. Really. I'm glad to know that something good came out in light of all that's happened."

He nodded thoughtfully, and then his expression fell. "What about you? When are you going back to Richmond?" His tone sounded casual but he was watching her reaction intently, wondering if they would go their separate ways yet again after the weekend was over. Back to real life.

Elena hesitated for a moment, occupying herself by studying a pamphlet on the coffee table in front of her and trying to put together the right words without sounding like a fickle-minded bitch. "I-I was actually thinking of staying for a while...maybe stay with Jeremy while you-I-w-we decide how to progress from here. I mean, I haven't really spent time with Jer since he's back from Italy, and the last time I saw him, I wasn't-he was-we-" she babbled nervously, still refusing to meet his gaze.

"Elena," Damon interrupted gently, reaching out with a finger under her chin to tip her head up so that he could look into her uncertain brown eyes. "Are you saying that you want us to try again? For real, this time? No more running away when the going gets tough?" He waited with abated breath for her answer as his heart pounded rapidly in his chest. If she wanted to stay to work things out with him, he wanted her to say it out loud, to commit herself willingly to prove that she was serious this time. No more excuses.

"It depends," she replied and then she hurriedly explained further when his brows furrowed into a confused frown. "I don't want to run anymore, Damon. I went to Richmond to find myself and I realized that I was able to survive _without_ you, that I didn't _need_ you. Hold on, hear me out," she quickly said as she placed a hand on arm when he started pulling away. "I don't need you in order to survive, like how you didn't need _me_ to make your own dreams come true. But I _want_ you in my life anyway because I know that I can make you happy again. I might be too late and it won't surprise me if you've already moved on with Rose or any other women who is lucky enough to fall in love with you, but I'm here to let you know that I'm willing to fight for you. It might not be now or even soon, but if you'll let me, I'll spend however long it takes to make it up to you again." When he didn't respond right away, Elena added. "If-if you wan-"

"Elena," Damon smirked, cutting her words off. "I will _never_ understand how much you underestimate your hold over me and how little you paid attention to everything I've told you before. I made you a promise long ago that I would _never_ leave you again and I don't exactly know _where_ you got the idea that I was dating Rose, but she's just my secretary. I hired her to help me set up the new company and right after the wedding, I am going to ask Ric if he wanted to join me as my business partner as well." Her body sagged with relief at the knowledge that he hadn't given up on her yet and there was still a chance for them to mend their relationship.

"As much as I hate to admit this, we're going to need some time to mend things between us because we still have some issues that need to be addressed. We can't exactly jump back to where we left off but I'm willing to try again, too. In fact, I'm quite curious to know how _exactly_ you're gonna try making it up to me," he gave her a lazy grin, showing a hint of his usual charming self that she had taken for granted for so long. For as long as she lived, she never wanted to see the cold and indifferent side of him again.

"Really? You'd take me back? Even if my eggs are fried?" Elena asked with a surprised expression.

He released a loud chuckle and then he said, "Fried, scrambled or hard-boiled...I'd take you back in a heartbeat. It doesn't matter to me, Elena. We'll think about children when the time comes and when we're both ready for it. We can explore other options later on if we decide to, but in the mean time...friends?" Elena's eyes widened as she saw him raise his palm towards her in a handshake, a sign of truce between them for now. She quickly nodded and gave him a broad smile as she slipped her hand in his and shook it.

"Friends," she nodded in agreement, grateful that the hardest part was over. "What now?"

He gave her a thoughtful look and then he looked down at their still joined hands before meeting her curious gaze again. "How about we stay here and just talk while we hold hands? It'll be like our first date all over again," he suggested.

"Sure," she replied and then they fell into companionable silence as they leaned back on the couch facing the main door and their hands clasped in between them, each lost in their own thoughts. And then she spoke, her soft voice managing to penetrate into his mind.

"For what it's worth...I-I love you, Damon. It never even occurred to me to stop, even at my darkest hours." His hand tightened against hers as he moved his head to gaze at her, his clear blue eyes catching her soft brown ones.

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>Later that evening, the entire gang gathered on deck 12 for a casual buffet dinner overlooking the still waters in a restaurant known as the Great Outdoors. As usual, the topic of the day seemed to revolve around the missing couple whom no one had seen since their arrival that morning.<p>

"Do you think that he threw her overboard?" Caroline asked in her usual unfiltered manner.

Stefan released an indignant snort as he regarded his girlfriend with disbelief. "Are you calling my brother a murderer? Because he's not and he would never do that."

"Obviously, you've never watched Fatal Attraction, a movie about a crime of passion. People do crazy things when they're in love and your brother-" Caroline broke off abruptly when Bonnie nudged her painfully in the ribs, gesturing madly at the other end of the al fresco dining restaurant.

"-is here, with Elena!" Bonnie whispered loudly, a happy smile frozen on her face when she saw them approaching their table hand-in-hand. All eight pairs of eyes, including Kol's, focused on the couple and then exchanged relieved smiles at the brilliance of their plan to bring them back together.

"Hey, guys," Damon greeted with a little wave as soon as they reached the table, his hand still clasped firmly with hers. Even though they'd agreed to take it slowly, now that he had her within reach, he found that he wasn't able to let go of her hand, not when it made him feel so connected to her. It was sort of a guilty pleasure he allowed himself to have after spending hours simply just talking with her on his couch and then later, on his bed where it was more comfortable. They hadn't even kissed yet, but still he was already acting like a giggly schoolboy merely from holding her hand. To his delight, Elena was also acting like a blushing schoolgirl under the scrutiny of their group of friends.

"Hey, where've you been, man? We were about to launch a search party for you guys! Come, sit down," Ric waved them over to his side of the table where an empty chair was located while the other remaining chair was all the way to the other side of Bonnie. Obviously, the group wasn't optimistic that their first meeting would go well since they've deliberately arranged to split them up far from each other just in case.

Seeing the empty chair beside Bonnie, Elena gave her a grateful smile and was about to let go of Damon's hand to take her seat but was stopped when he held on to her firmly. "Don't be silly, Elena, they can scoot over, can't they?" He threw a mock glare at Jeremy who quickly stood up to occupy the empty seat next to Bonnie and then Jenna moved to the other seat originally reserved for Damon, creating two empty seats between Ric and Jeremy.

Damon smirked at the clearly embarrassed Elena before reluctantly releasing her hand so that he could pull out a chair for her to sink into. He then quickly took his own seat next to her and immediately reached for her hand again, lacing his fingers between hers. "Sorry we were late for dinner, we were busy talking," he said as he cast an apologetic glance around the table.

"Yeah, right! Eight whole hours of _talking_? Is that what you crazy kids are calling it these days? You guys didn't even bother to change out of the clothes you were wearing since this morning!" Caroline exclaimed as she studied them through suspicious eyes.

"Sorry! I didn't have my luggage with me, so I couldn't change and we kind of lost track of time, so..." Elena shrugged casually.

"Yeah, your luggage is in our cabin unless you want to move it over to Damon's room later?" Bonnie asked with a cheeky grin on her face, her face almost gleeful with joy at the thought of her best friend's reunion with her husband.

"No," Elena shook her head, surprising everyone around the table. "I'm still bunking with you, Bon." Eight heads simultaneously turned towards Damon expectantly, their accusing stares pinning him down in his seat.

"What?" he asked defensively. "Elena and I are taking it slow this time around and we've decided that we're going to start dating again for now until we're comfortable enough to proceed to the next level."

"_Dating_? Isn't it a little too late for that? Aren't you guys, like, what's the word..._married_?" Jeremy asked incredulously, looking confused by this sudden turn of events.

"Jeez, if they were gonna just date, I wouldn't have moved my whole wedding to force them to meet!" Jenna muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes at Elijah.

"What the hell, Damon?" Ric hissed at his best friend, shaking his head in disappointment.

"At the risk of incurring more frown lines on some very crowded foreheads, Elena and I being married is merely a technicality at the moment. We haven't exactly experienced the whole dating process before and we really want to take the time to work out some of our issues before we can return to the way we were. It's just good sense, guys! We want this one to last for the long haul, so it's going to be nice and easy until it's...not," Damon explained patiently to the group of people he had deemed as his family, plus Dr. Hotness.

"Oh, don't worry, you guys! They are Damon and Elena! Remember how nauseating they were to be around with once upon a time? I'll give them twenty minutes on a date together before clothes come flying off like there's no tomorrow! _And_, they live in the same house after all," Caroline rolled her eyes as if it was an inevitable conclusion. But her confidence was shaken severely at Elena's next words.

"Umm, not exactly, Care. I'll be staying over with Jeremy for a while and you know, hang out with my brother whom I haven't seen since he came back from Italy," Elena said to her crestfallen blonde friend before turning to her brother. "Jer, I feel as if I haven't even talked to you in years. And I'm sorry for being in a weird place at the hospital and then after, when I was in Richmond. But I'm back now, and I need to catch up on your latest news. Remember what we talked about in Italy? Did you have a chance to meet up with the girl you had a major crush on since you've been back? When can I meet her?" she asked excitedly, oblivious to his uneasy expression and the quick furtive glance he gave to the girl on the other side of him.

At Jeremy's hesitation, Damon decided to turn the group's unwanted attention to the younger Gilbert. "Yeah, Jer, go ahead and tell your sister about the crush you've had on her best friend. Go on, tell her!" He smirked in satisfaction when his brother-in-law blushed to the roots of his hair under the scrutiny of everyone else in the group amidst a chorus of "What?" and "Jeremy and Bonnie?"

"Ermm, I, that is, we, ummm, we're not really-" Jeremy stammered nervously, averting his eyes from everyone else's while Bonnie did the same.

"Oh, come on, bro! Ebony and Ivory, living in perfect harmony?" Damon sang out loud and gave a loud chuckle. "You two are so adorable if you think I didn't notice! _Naive_, but adorable. It started during our wedding, didn't it? I could see the sparks flying even back then. Then, when I brought Elena to visit you and you talked about a girl back home that you kept in touch with, I put two and two together and got twenty-two! But it wasn't until I stayed over at Ric's when you guys started hanging around there more often that I noticed the googly eyes you made at each other when you think no one's looking," he paused for a while when Jeremy flashed a surprised look at him. "Don't look so surprised, Ivory. I may have been miserable but I sure as hell wasn't blind! You'd have to have had your heads buried in the sand if you didn't notice the chemistry between you two."

"I live there and I didn't notice anything!" Ric announced, his eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"Neither did I! I didn't see anything," Jenna said, studying her nephew with renewed interest.

"We didn't know, either, did we, Stefan?" Caroline asked, turning her wide eyes to her boyfriend who shook his head.

"Nope."

"My point exactly," Damon shrugged. "Heads in the sand! So, how serious is it between you two? Are you having sex yet? Ivory, are you even legal yet? How _old_ are you? Ebony's the same age as Elena, right?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, 'Lena. It's just that you've been so preoccupied with your own things and I didn't want to add on to your worries. I wanted to tell you so many times before this, but there was never a right time. Are you mad at me?" Bonnie pled to the silent brunette who appeared stunned and unable to react.

Seeing his wife's gaping jaw, Damon quickly leaped to her defence, "Of course she's not mad, right Elena? I'm sure she's jumping for joy on the inside." He discreetly squeezed her hand and tried to snap her out of her daze at finding out that her best friend was dating her younger brother. He could understand how she felt though; he'd hit the roof if he ever found out that his best friend was dating Stefan, too. But then again, his best friend was Ric, so it'd be weird either way. He actually had a hard time deciding if he was more protective over his younger brother or Ric in that scenario. He quickly shook his head at the train of thought his mind had just taken.

Suddenly, Elena shocked everyone when she let out an excited squeal. "Bon, do you realize that if you married my brother, we'd be sisters? Your kids would be my nephews and nieces! Wouldn't that be great?" She almost knocked over her stunned brother at her enthusiasm to reach over him to hug Bonnie who laughed out in relief.

"We just started dating, 'Lena! Let's not mention the M-word, yet, okay? So, you approve?" Bonnie asked in clarification.

"Of course, silly! I love my brother and I love _you_! Why didn't this happen sooner?" Elena wrapped her up in her arms again, squeezing her tightly before Caroline jumped up to join them.

"I want a hug, too!" she announced and then proceeded to embrace the two girls. "Can you imagine, if Stefan and I got married, we'd _all_ be sisters? I'm so scared and happy at the same time!" Everyone around the table chuckled at Caroline's words except for Stefan and Jeremy who had their eyes narrowed on the hugging girls worriedly before they exchanged a look.

"You _do_ know that we're screwed, don't you?" Stefan mouthed to the younger Gilbert who nodded with a tense look on his face.

"You were right, Elijah. They are a rather fun bunch of people. Thanks for inviting me to the wedding," Kol said to his date as he watched the whole scene unfold with amusement.

Sensing that the 'Beremy' drama was coming to an end, Damon turned his attention to his next victim, fully intending for the drama to be focused on anyone else but Elena and himself. "So, _Kol_, was it? When did you realize that you were gay? Was it _before_ or _after_ you had access to unlimited vaginas? And between you and Elijah, which one of you plays the female role?" His unexpected and highly inappropriate questions drew the full attention of the group now, and like before, eight heads snapped towards the ill-at-ease reporter and his shocked date, interested to hear their answers.

"Aren't weddings fun, my dear?" Ric whispered into Jenna's ears.

* * *

><p><strong>R-E-V-I-E-W as if your life depended on it! <strong>

**One more chapter to go, and then it's the epilogue where we get to have a glimpse into their future to see what kind of twisted things I will make them say again. You can be sure that when the gang's all together, the drama will be far from over!**

**My twitter: cgsa_cher **


	41. Chapter 41

**DISCLAIMER: It's not my fault if you break into a ridiculous grin after this chapter. Or get tears in your eyes. Or choke. Or die. Ha Ha, sucks to be you if you died before October 11th!**

**I would like to apologize in advance for this chapter as I succumbed to one of my moods again. But I figured that I had a right to, since this is my second last chapter, so it's a do or die moment for me, the author. I probably needed to see someone about these weird moods I seem to ****always**** be in.**

**Kudos to Kate (This Is My Escape) who is my hero and a great author to boot! Her talents are endless! Please check out her stories and review!**

**Kristi (tukct81) rules as my best publicist in the whole world! I was on the verge of killing off a main character in the epilogue and she convinced me that my life was more important than to satisfy my fantasy. Please go and check out her stories as a thank you!**

**I made a lot of really cool friends here and I would just like to thank everyone for being so nice (mostly - LOL) and supportive of me with your PMs and following me on Twitter.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 41: When A Man Loves A Woman (Part Two)<strong>_

"I don't _want_ to leave you," Ric pouted as he wrapped his arms around his fiancée, the future Missus Saltzman. The guys were saying goodnight to their ladies and/or friends in the case of Elijah and Kol since they had separate plans on the eve of the wedding.

The men were going off on their own for a pre-planned bachelor night while the ladies had a busy night of not doing anything. Basically, they were just going to hang-out in Jenna's bridal suite and talk about the wedding. And they were going to talk about the boys; Mostly, the boys.

Jenna returned her fiancée's hug and gave a small whine at the thought of not seeing him until she walked down the aisle tomorrow. "I know, I don't want to leave you, either! What if we just cover our eyes and not see each other but cuddle and fool around until the wedding? It might be kinky?" Jenna asked hopefully as she tilted her head back to peer into Ric's amused face.

To everyone's amusement, Ric actually considered her suggestion for a moment. He stared at her before finally saying, "Well, I guess we _could_ –" but then Caroline put her foot down and stepped in.

"Oh no, you don't! You two can be kinky and suck-face all you want on your own time, but tonight, she's _ours_. It's the last night Jenna's ever going to be a single woman, and as her friends, we reserve the right to corrupt her all we want until she's married to you. So, please guys, you go do your guy-thing and let us do our girl-thing. Good night!" Caroline pulled Stefan in for a quick tongue-swirling kiss before waving them off.

Elena turned anxiously to Damon and gave him a worried glance. "There won't be any strippers or anything like that, will there?" Her newly reunited companion gave her a teasing smirk before giving her a squeeze around her waist with one hand while the other reached over to clap his best friend on the back.

"Let's just say that the _only_ person who will be doing any stripping is _this_ guy right here," Damon's head tilted to Ric's direction who was still sharing longing looks with Jenna. "Call it a re-enactment of _my_ bachelor night, if you will. Only _this_ time, I'll get a video recording of it." He waved his iPhone around triumphantly and gave Ric a smug smile. Oh yes, a Youtube video would be out sometime tomorrow, no doubt about it.

"Come on, people!" the blonde whined. "We don't have all night! Us girls have to strip down to our pyjamas by 2200 hours and get drunk, watch some porn, talk about sex and get some sleep so that the bride doesn't wake up with dark circles under her eyes tomorrow! _Let's go_!" Caroline exclaimed to the group in her usual snappish manner when it came to keeping to her schedule.

"Screw bachelor night! I'm staying!" Ric announced suddenly while attempting to push past Caroline into the suite where the girls' night were taking place.

"Yeah, so am I! Four half-naked girls, alcohol _and_ porn? I'm so in!" Jeremy piped up, his face breaking into a huge happy grin.

Damon shook his head and rolled his eyes at his brother-in-law's enthusiasm. "Ivory, you _do_ realize that one of the half-naked girls is your sister and another is your aunt, don't you?" He cocked an eyebrow at the expression of horror on Jeremy's face as realization dawned on him.

"Yeah, okay," the younger Gilbert sighed in disappointment as he began to realize he jumped on board far too soon. "Let's go watch Ric strip and kiss another dude," he said in resignation before he leaned over to give Bonnie a swift peck on her lips, making her blush at the public display of affection. Then he swiftly turned away and started headed down the corridor.

Stefan released a chuckle as he hurried over to catch up with him. "Oh look, Jer. Ebony just turned maroon. What other colours does she turn into when you're together...?" His mutterings grew more and more faint as the distance increased and soon, only Damon and Ric were left behind to say good night to their own girls.

"Just to be clear, tomorrow we're going as each other's dates, _right_? You don't have a third guy you brought onboard, do you?" Damon asked Elena with a teasing grin. "Like a hot therapist or a dance instructor?" Underneath his cheeky exterior, there was insecurity in his eyes that Elena could see as she gazed into his wonderfully mesmerizing blue eyes and she cursed herself for ever putting that insecurity there in the first place. She knew that there was a lot she had to make up for to earn back his trust and for him to get over his hurt at her leaving. She would just have to prove to him that she was in it for the long haul this time around and she'd earn back his trust by trying to convince him of her love to him, over and over again until one day, he'd believe her.

"No, just the gay couple," Elena said with a small smile, but her eyes were utterly serious as she spoke. "I'm all yours, Damon; before, during and _after_ the wedding. Never doubt that again, okay?" She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze with her fingers while he searched her eyes until finally, he gave her a small nod. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night," she whispered, leaning in to press a soft kiss right on the edge of his lips, not quite touching them but also not quite on his cheeks.

"Good night, Elena. Until tomorrow," Damon whispered when she stepped back from him, and he felt a sense of loss when they were no longer touching. After spending months without any contact with her, and then an entire day just holding her close to him – he craved for her like nothing he ever had before.

Not to be outdone, Ric was facing a similar experience with his bride. "I can't wait to marry you tomorrow, Miss Sommers. Meet you at the altar?" He asked with a wry smile, looking every bit like the happiest man alive.

"Sure, I'll be the one in white, racing down the aisle to get to you," Jenna replied, as equally besotted as the man who was bending down to claim her lips. She threw her arms around him and clung to him tightly, unwilling to be separated from him, even for a minute.

Damon rolled his eyes again and tugged on Ric's arm, forcing him to part from Jenna and made his way down the corridor where the rest of the men were waiting. "Come on, Ric! Look at it this way; the faster we get through tonight, the faster you guys can get married and soon, Elena and I will have a little cousin to play with." As Ric's eyes widened, he laughed. "Also, just admit that you're at least a little excited to be videotaped while stripping down to your boxers."

As the words spoken in jest left his mouth, an elderly couple happened to be walking by in route to their own cabin but they stopped as they passed, horrified when they heard him. They turned their judgemental gazes on Ric who quickly stammered out his defence, being the homophobe he was.

"Oh n-n-no, it's my bachelor night and I'm getting married tomorrow," he hastily explained and then the couple turned their attention suspiciously to Damon who was merely standing there, struggling to keep a straight face at his buddy's discomfort. "No-not with him! I'm straight...really! I love women! _Woman_! Just the _one_!" Ric hastily corrected himself, his expression appalled at the thought of being mistaken as a homosexual man or even a promiscuous man.

Guffawing with a roll of his eyes at the evident desperation of not being misunderstood, Damon finally decided to put an end to that conversation, dramatically, of course. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go meet up with the rest of the guys so that we can give each other lap dances!" Deliberately ignoring Ric's indignant expression, Damon reached out to pull the groom's hand while flashing a smirk at the scandalized elderly couple. "Good evening, sir. Ma'am."

Damon watched with glee as the couple hurriedly escaped into their cabin and slammed the door shut behind them.

* * *

><p>"<em>Please<em> tell us, Elena!" Caroline pleaded with her wide blue-green eyes. "I'm sure you guys did more than just _talk_!"

The girls were now settled into the spacious bridal suite, dressed down in their pjs, sipping champagne and munching on chocolates as they gossiped about the men in their lives.

Elena sighed and gave her friend a pointed look. "I told you at dinner, Caroline. We just _talked_!"

"Right, because I believe that for a second!" the blonde exclaimed with a little eye-roll. Really, did everyone think she was _that_ gullible?

"Why is that so hard to understand? We haven't seen each other in three months and there are still a lot of issues we have yet to resolve. It's actually a miracle that he still wanted to work things out, considering what I did to him. Until that's all water under the bridge, that's _all_ we'll do," Elena told them firmly, her face set in a determined look. At least, that was what she told herself.

Seeing Damon on the ship after months of trying to let him go was torturous to say the least. There were so many times when she just wanted to pick up the phone and call him, just to hear his voice but that would have been selfish of her. She had to think about what was best for _him_, not herself. Elena let herself imagine what her future would be like without him in it, if she could love someone else if she ever got over him.

She found herself comparing every guy she met or even smiled at her in Richmond to Damon; they were either too tall or too short, too fair or too dark, their hair wasn't the exact shade of black she could imagine running her fingers through, too muscular or too skinny, their voice didn't make her weak in the knees and her heart didn't race at the sight of their face like _his_ did. Nobody else could compare to the way he made her feel and it pierced her heart at the thought of not feeling that way again.

Elena didn't even allow herself to think of the _possibility_ of going back to him, at least not until Caroline and Bonnie's visit. When they told her how miserable he was back in New York, just being utterly useless as he moped around and wallowed in his own pain, she felt as if she could die of suffocation. The idea that she could reduce him to that state, that she could hurt him _so_ much to the level of listening to Air Supply songs...she knew _then_ what she would have to do. Damon was supposed to have started to move on, or at least had a semblance of a normal life but if he was as unhappy without her as she was without him...then perhaps they were better off together, trying to figure out a way to move past her foolishness and the tragedy of losing their baby together. If he could forgive her, then perhaps they could be happy again...

"Hello? Earth to Elena!" Jenna's voice finally managed to shake Elena from her own thoughts. When the distracted brunette looked up, three pairs of inquisitive eyes were staring at her.

"Hmm?" Elena mumbled as she tried to remember what she missed while she was wrapped up in her own memories. "What?"

"I asked you why you haven't jumped Damon already after being apart for so long. Yes, I know you both had a major fight and many, many issues yet to be resolved, but oh...think of the make-up sex!" Jenna's eyes were wide with animation as she smiled dreamily. "If I had a fight with Ric and hadn't seen him for months, I would so totally ravish him the minute I laid eyes on him. There's _nothing_ you can't cure with sex, you know? Especially awesome, rough, dirty-"

"Yes, we got it!" Bonnie interrupted hastily before the bride-to-be launched into a detailed explanation of how dirty sex could be with the man of the hour, or rather, the weekend. "I think Elena's right, though. Some things should _not_ be swept under the carpet and hope that they just go away on their own. Sometimes, you just need to talk it out and bare your souls to each other," she shrugged.

"Is that _all_ you're doing with Jeremy, hmm? Bare your soul? Have you popped his cherry yet? Does he even _know_ how to work his way around the female body? Do we need to draw a Marauder's Map showing all the erogenous zones for him?" Caroline teased with a face-splitting grin, referring to the map that could only be opened with the words "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_" based on the Harry Potter series.

Those words were right on the money, too.

Elena released a gasp out of indignation. "Caroline! That's my _brother_ you're talking about! I don't want to think of him _that_ way, thank you very much," she said with repulsion written all over her face.

"What? He's hot for a kid!" Caroline exclaimed loudly. "Alright, alright, well if we can't talk about Jeremy or about Damon and your lack of bedroom acrobatics, then can we talk about Stefan?" Her eyes lit up when no one silenced her. "Because he's absolutely dreamy, he's _extremely_ well-endowed and let me just tell you, he might even be longer lasting than the Energizer Bunny!" she announced to the other three ladies who looked shell-shocked at her admission. Amidst their curious gazes and reddened faces, Caroline nodded earnestly and said in a smug tone, "I'm telling ya! Two words; multiple orgasms!"

"Really? _Stefan_?" Jenna asked incredulously and then whistled. "Wow, the Salvatore brothers must have a lot more in common than just their good looks then. I heard that Damon's pretty great in the sack as well." She glanced over at her niece's gaping mouth and then chuckled loudly. "What? It's not my fault you guys were going at it in the middle of the day with Stefan, Ric and myself right across the hall in the nursery trying to slap paint on the walls over the excessive racket you guys were making! By the way, did you know that you were a screamer, 'Lena? You were like _seriously_ loud! I couldn't even look at you guys for days after _that_ episode."

Elena blushed to the roots of her hair at that major enlightenment before she buried her heated face in one of the pillows. "Oh my God, I'm so mortified! Oh my God, oh my God, Oh my God!" came her muffled response as peals of laughter erupted all around her.

"Yes!" Jenna gasped out breathlessly. "That's _exactly_ what you sounded like at the time, too! Was that a preview or-" She didn't manage to finish her sentence because Elena suddenly lurched up and attacked her with the very pillow she had just buried her head in, giggling wildly. And then all hell broke loose when the other two girls joined in; flinging Hershey's kisses at each other and rolling around the enormous bed trying to hold the other down while laughing uncontrollably.

_* * * * Meanwhile * * * *_

It was official.

Bachelor Night was a flop.

It wasn't anyone's fault per se, but somehow, the idea of six attractive guys sitting in a bar, drinking shot after shot of whiskey and for Jeremy – beer – wasn't exactly what they had in mind for a fun night. Oh, there were plenty of eye-candies for them to look at; some were even related to Ric as they were onboard as guests of the wedding. But since they were all in a stable relationship already, the fact that they were getting hit on left and right by various women in that bar were not as entertaining as one would expect.

"Jeez, they should impose an age limit into this bar! I swear that woman is old enough to be my grandmother!" Damon protested with disgust, shivering as his gaze shifted to the lady in question who just bought him a drink before proceeding to proposition to do things to him that even made _him_ blush just hearing the filthy words.

Ric studied the woman thoughtfully and then turned to Damon, "Actually, that might have been my great aunt or something like that." His best man looked at him in shock for a moment, wondering how Ric was actually related to a woman whose vocabulary could rival those of a trucker. "_What_? I haven't met her before; my mother was the one who invited all the old-bats to the wedding," Ric declared defensively.

And then there was the group of horny teenagers in their micro-mini skirts and plunging necklines who kept sliding the men sly and lusty looks as they giggled amongst themselves. Their main focus seemed to be Jeremy and Kol, unsurprisingly.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I feel like a fucking sex object," Stefan complained in a forlorn voice, sliding down in his chair as he attempted to make himself as small as possible to avoid the unwanted attention. He also looked as if he had been scarred for life.

Just then, the group of teenagers flashed them a come-hither look as they made their way over to the stage, strutting sexily and making sure that their hips swayed in a tantalizing manner meant to seduce the terrified men sitting in a corner by the stage. One of the teenagers, perhaps the leader of the group, leaned in and whispered to one of the stage-hand and then they were all up on the stage, still giggling.

"Oh dear God, what are they doing _now_?" whispered Jeremy, but then his question was answered when the familiar starting notes of the song came over the speakers. There were scattered cheers around the bar and then the supposed leader of the group smiled and spoke into the microphone.

"Hi y'all. I'm Andie and this song is dedicated to the group of guys sitting over there in the corner. Like OMG, you are all, like so totally yummilicious! We hope y'all like it!" And then what happened next on stage scared the bejeesus out of the frozen men. Two of them, Damon and Ric halted in their tracks while lifting a glass of bourbon each to their mouths as they unwillingly stared at a scene that could never be unseen.

The girls were gyrating their hips while singing and dancing to 'It's Raining Men'.

"I've never been happier to be a gay man," Elijah announced as he watched the show put on by the girls, unable to tear his eyes away from the cringe-worthy train wreck of a karaoke performance. He even scooted closer to Kol in fear. The handsome doctor just chuckled and wrapped a comforting arm around his date's shoulder, shrugging as he said, "I don't know why, but they don't suck as much as you'd think if you close your eyes. No pun intended."

Jeremy had his young eyes squeezed shut, muttering "There's no place like home, there's no place like home" under his breath. Then, he opened an eye to peep through and when the scene didn't change, he cursed loudly before punching Damon on his arm. "I _told_ you we should have stayed and watched porn with the girls!" He glared at his brother-in-law accusingly when Damon was able to move his eyes from the appalling song and dance number on the stage.

Damon was genuinely apologetic as he regarded the younger Gilbert. "You were absolutely right, Jer. I will listen to everything you say from now on, I promise."

"Damon, I'm scared. I want to see my wife. I _need_ to see her," Ric pleaded, his eyes begging his best friend for an escape from this new form of torture. Honestly, he'd drink a barrel of Elena's coffee than to be faced with what was happening on stage right then.

Damon nodded his head earnestly in understanding. "Oh God, I'm _so_ glad I have Elena. Like seriously, there might only be _four_ women – okay, maybe three because Caroline is in a league of her own - in the world who are perfectly normal, and _we_ happen to be the four lucky bastards who are _with_ them!"

"Please, why are _we_ still here? Can we go? Let's go," Stefan begged and as soon as he stood up, the girls on stage whooped and cheered, thinking that he was going over to join them. Andie, possibly the bravest and most forward of the bunch, smiled broadly and started making her way over to them, hoping to get the guys to join the girls.

Seeing the determined look on Andie's face, the group of men immediately stood up, and made a beeline for the exit, leaving behind a disappointed bunch of teens who were shouting their displeasure at the sight of the leaving men.

Feeling extremely grateful at being able to get out alive and intact from the bar – or more likely, the karaoke bar – the group of men headed back to the bridal suite, eager to be reunited with their own women; perfectly sane, matured, normal women...and Caroline.

"Screw tradition, I'm seeing my bride tonight!" Ric announced happily as they approached the door to the cabin where the girls were at, and they could clearly hear the loud giggles and squeals coming from inside the room. The men stopped where they were, listening intently at the door at the commotion inside.

"From the sound of things, I'd say that the girls' night is going much better than ours did!" Kol commented, flashing his boyish grin at the others.

Ric nodded in agreement and then added, "I'd say so. Is it wrong that I'm imagining the girls in their lingerie, having pillow fights with feathers flying all around them in slow motion?" He wore a goofy grin and a dreamy expression as he said that, his mind most definitely in the gutters.

"Not at all! I'd bet anything that the girls are on the other side of this door, imagining the _exact_ same thing of us in _our_ underwear," Elijah deadpanned as he blinked, watching the heterosexual men take an moment of awkward pause while their minds conjured up the images he planted in their heads. Simultaneously, all four of them grimaced and it was enough to dampen the mood.

Ric cleared his throat uneasily, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his less-than appropriate thoughts. "Thanks Elijah. I'm gonna go do something manly now, like...chop some firewood or something," he muttered, changing direction towards the elevator.

"We're on a cruise to nowhere!" Elijah called out to his retreating back, barely able to hold back his amusement.

Refusing to even turn around to address the reporter, Ric lifted his arm in a wave and raised his voice to be heard over the distance. "I'll break some toothpicks then!"

For lack of anything to do to while the time away, Damon turned to his brother and suggested, "Come on, brother. Let's pretend we're butch men and go spit over the side of the ship."

Panicked at being left alone with the remaining two gay men, Jeremy looked around him anxiously. "Err, I'll be in my cabin, watching some girl on girl on my laptop. Good night, guys!" And with those parting words, he hurried after the brothers, leaving Elijah and Kol behind.

Kol glanced at Elijah for a moment and then his face broke into a wide grin, flashing his perfect pearly whites at his date. "Let's freak the girls out by asking if we could join in on their underwear pillowfights!"

"That's an even worse idea than that karaoke bar, but yes; let's!"

* * *

><p>With the flurries of activities going on at the same time, the day of the wedding passed by so swiftly that it was soon time for the gang to start heading out to the ceremony. While all the guys had to do was to put on their suits and comb their hair, the ladies had a more daunting morning and afternoon, what with getting their nails done, their hair styled, their make-up flawlessly applied, and then getting their dresses practically painted on.<p>

And then just as the sky seemed to darken with black clouds and accompanied by the smell of an approaching downpour, it was time.

"'Lena, do I look okay?" Jenna asked nervously as she fidgeted and worried over her laced gown.

Elena cast a pair of critical eyes on the glowing bride, finding nothing out of place and smiled in satisfaction. "Jenna, you look absolutely perfect! Ric will not be able to tear his eyes off of you," she assured her aunt, her doe eyes softening as she reached over to grasp Jenna's cold hands in hers. "I wish Mom was here to see you now. She'd be so proud of you and she would have fully approved of Ric, too. He's honestly one of the greatest men I have ever met and you two are just _perfect_ together. I can't imagine anyone else for the both of you, really. You're going to get married to him and then you're going to be spending the rest of your lives making each other the happiest you've ever been. I know it," she smiled as her brown eyes glistened with tears, sending Jenna over the edge with emotions too.

"Oh Elena," the bride sighed, wrapping her arms around her bridesmaid in a tight embrace. "I could say the same for you and Damon, too, you know? I never told you how proud I am of you for coming back and wanting to fix things with him instead of just giving up. I don't exactly approve of the way you left things, but I understood that you needed some time to deal. I just – I've never seen a man hurt so much and so deeply at the thought of losing a woman he loves, so please promise me that you'll make it up to him." Jenna pulled back to peer into her niece's eyes and then she smiled softly when she nodded in agreement.

"Hey! Do you want to get married or not? The wedding march started already and when _both_ of you didn't show, I didn't know _who_ was more terrified; the groom or the best man!" exclaimed an alarmed Caroline, who was sent out by the groom to find out what was going on. She alternated her gaze between the two ladies, uncertain as to who was causing the delay. "If your feet aren't cold, make sure they are headed _down_ the aisle, not pacing around here creating a hole in the carpet, are we clear? Good!" Without waiting for a reply, the angry blonde stomped back inside, flipping her loose curls over her shoulder as she did and leaving the bride and her bridesmaid to exchange a look of guilt.

"You know, I don't know who I feel more sorry for; Stefan or Rosalyn when she finally gets married to him," Jenna commented drily.

"I'll take option C; her future kids," Elena replied with a straight face, just as the wedding march started again, but _this_ time, slightly louder than before. "That's my cue! See you soon, Mrs. Saltzman," she gave her aunt a final encouraging grin, and then she disappeared through the archway.

The moment she appeared in Damon's line of vision, the raven-haired man heaved a sigh of relief and then he took in everything he was seeing and feeling as he watched her began her slow march towards him.

Elena was every bit as exquisite as he remembered on _their_ wedding day, but somehow, she was different. She was no longer the shy, pregnant teenager who was somewhat forced to marry him. Although much skinnier than before, she now had an air of sophistication to her, and a sense of maturity after months of ups and downs in her young life. What she'd been through in months could not even compare to what others might have gone through in years or even decades. She was stronger, she was better, and she was here.

With him.

_There's my wife_, Damon thought as he smiled proudly at her, a vision in an electric blue halter-necked dress, her hair pulled to one side that left a tantalizing shoulder bare. It emphasised on the amount of weight she had lost and it made his heart ache at the proof of how much she had suffered from the loss of a life in her womb. No matter what he felt about losing his daughter, the fact of the matter was that he didn't suffer the _physical_ aspect of the loss in addition to the emotional ones. He knew _then_ that despite the pain he felt at her leaving or his wounded pride, he had already forgiven her. All that mattered was that she _came_ back and they had a future together to make up for the time they had lost.

He roused from his inner thoughts as Elena reached the end of the aisle and took her place on the other side of the aisle, her eyes staring straight at him with a slight tug on the corners of her lips. She looked like a woman who held a secret, one that only _he_ would be able to guess, so he quirked a brow at her questioningly. Her smile widened a little as she gave a small shrug and then discreetly lifted a hand to run her fingers through her hair under the pretence of smoothing down a stray lock.

Damon didn't notice anything in particular until the overhead spot light caught at the right angle, revealing a familiar accessory on her finger; her wedding ring. He stiffened as he realized the implications of her gesture and the meaning behind it.

Elena was staying...for good. And it made his heart soared.

He must have been wearing a silly grin on his face because the next thing he knew, Stefan kicked him on his shin and it took all the willpower he had not to cry out in pain. He tore his watering eyes from his wife to glare at his brother but the younger Salvatore had his eyes trained on the approaching bride. Damon quickly recollected his thoughts and vowed to pay attention as Jenna took her place beside his best friend and placed her hand in Ric's.

And then the ordained Captain began the ceremony with the common words of, "Dearly beloved..." but by then, Damon had tuned out again, his clear blue eyes catching his wife's warm brown ones and they were once again, lost in their own little world. It wasn't until Elena's lips started moving soundlessly that he realized that she was trying to convey something to him. For a moment there, he thought that he had gone deaf because he couldn't hear her voice or that she sounded _exactly_ like Jenna.

His head whipped towards the couple in front and true enough, Jenna was reciting her vows after the Captain. He turned his attention back to Elena and she was still gazing at him, her eyes sincere and earnest as she mouthed along with the bride.

"...for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Damon could have died right then, and he would have died the happiest man alive. She was making a vow to him right there and then, in front of anyone who noticed and in front of God.

"Do you, Jenna, take _this_ man, Alaric as your lawfully wedded husband?" The Captain's deep voice rang loudly through the room.

"I do," Elena mouthed again, with her head nodding slightly.

"And do _you_, Alaric, take this woman, Jenna as your lawfully wedded wife?"

This time, it was Damon who mouthed the words as he wore his heart on his sleeve, as mushy as that sounded. "I do."

It never occurred to them that they each just declared to take Ric and Jenna as their spouses, but they both decided to ignore the technicalities of the situation. What mattered was that they just wiped the slate clean and renewed their vows to each other, the only reason being that they loved one another. Not because of an unplanned pregnancy, or the duress of a parent, or for a situation beyond their control. This time, it was for the right reason; they were helplessly and hopelessly in love.

"The rings, _dammit_!" Ric cursed through his gritted teeth at his best man, who was too distracted to notice the hand held out to him.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Damon whispered apologetically, snapping out of the trance that was his Elena. Passing the rings to the glaring groom who snatched them from his outstretched palm before turning back to his bride, Damon shared a grimace with his beaming wife before they got lost in each other's eyes again.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the Captain announced proudly as he smiled at the newlyweds. "You may now kiss the bride."

Loud cheers erupted around the room as the couple leaned in and officially kissed for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Saltzman, and then thunderous applause rumbled in their ears as the newlyweds looked up from their euphoric moment, only to see the other reason for the loud clapping; a kissing best man and bridesmaid.

It was almost automatic, the way Damon and Elena moved towards each other, neither saying a word, their eyes revealing everything that were left unsaid. It was completely natural, the way they reached for the other, and the way their heads tilted at an angle and when their lips met...their soft sighs explained everything.

It wasn't merely a touch of the lips or even the caress of the skin; it was a meeting of the souls and a promise of the future. It was their first kiss after months of heartaches and uncertainty, but it was also a cure for everything that had gone wrong in the past.

When their arms wrapped around each other, their tongues dancing in their mouths, Damon could feel his heart mending with every single beat. Every single void in his being had been filled, every single crack, mended and healed as if it had never been broken to begin with.

"Ahem," a loud throat-clearing sounded right beside them, breaking into their little blissful bubble as they reluctantly parted. They turned towards the source of the sound to see several pairs of eyes on them, namely the amused newlyweds. "We're very happy that you two _finally_ reunited and all, but can you do it on your own time? You're kind of stealing our thunder here," Jenna said without any anger, but with a satisfied smile as she looked at the both of them. Giving them a wink, she giggled softly.

Damon looked around him and realized what he had done with everyone's eyes on him and his wife, some amused, some curious, some with disapproval and some, especially those in front, were ecstatic. "S-sorry," he stammered guiltily and then he pulled a red-faced Elena over to his side so that Ric and Jenna could march out hand-in-hand as husband and wife.

Oh God, he hoped the video of the ceremony didn't make it out on Youtube!

* * *

><p>Throughout the wedding reception, mostly everyone who went up to congratulate the newlyweds also congratulated the best man and bridesmaid for falling in love during a wedding. It was true in a way; Damon and Elena both felt like they had in fact, fallen in love all over again since they first saw each other when they arrived the day before.<p>

They had one of the best and longest talks ever in their relationship, and it felt good that they decided to take it slow this time around...until the kiss happened, anyway.

They could hardly keep their eyes and hands off each other throughout dinner, constantly finding way to hold hands or to brush a feather-light touch along an arm or a cheek as they remained close together. Their bubble was burst again with the sudden presence of a neurotic blonde who probably had a schedule for every single thing in her life as she interrupted them.

"I hate to disturb the vomit-inducing atmosphere you've got going on over here, but it's time for the speeches. Best-man slash thunder stealer, you're up!" Caroline announced and then hastily made a quick departure to her own seat beside Stefan.

For the life of him, Damon could not remember anything of his speech at all, despite having practiced the whole day. Left with no other choice but to wing it, he cleared his throat and stood up, tapping his spoon lightly on the side of his wineglass as he did so. When the hundred over guests turned their full attention on him, he smiled nervously and began speaking with no idea what would come out of his mouth.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm Damon, the best man of my buddy Ric and also known as the man who made out with the hot bridesmaid earlier," he began with a teasing grin aimed at Elena, prompting the crowd to chuckle and cheer. "My buddy and I have been friends for a number of years. We've been through thick and thin together, mostly thin since I always seem to be the one to land us both in hot water. But _this_ time, I'm proud to admit that I'm the reason he's beaming from ear-to-ear, married to the wonderful woman by his side."

He smiled down at the upturned faces of the newlyweds and then went on with his speech. "Ric and Jenna met by chance when I was..._dating_ my wife, who is Jenna's niece. So Ric, I'm going to give you a piece of advice from a guy who has experience in marrying the love of his life, so listen up. When you find the right person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you can't help but to be swept up by the love you share. You can have all kinds of crap thrown at you; you can fight, you can cry, she might even leave for a while," he quipped, his eyes meeting Elena's briefly as he shot her a wink. "But ultimately, you just have to let yourself be swept up in that all-consuming love and hope and pray that she'll come back to you. And when she does..._never_ let her go again."

He had turned his gaze at Elena's face once again, speaking mostly to her than to Ric. "Umm, I guess what I'm trying to say is, remember the vows you took today and live by it every single day like there's no tomorrow. To Ric and Jenna," he said as he raised his glass, prompting other to do the same. "May you both be as happy and in love as you are right now, but always remember that I have a spare couch in my house at any time for either one of you. Cheers!" He toasted to the confused couple as he drained his own glass, smiling gratefully at the applause he received from the guests before he took his seat.

"Well, _that_ was interesting!" Ric whispered as he leaned in.

"Thank you! It came from the heart." Damon replied straight-faced. "Relax, Uncle Ric! That was my way of saying that I love you and that you both have a special place in my heart!"

Then, it was Elena's turn for her speech. After Caroline's painful nudges on her ribs, Elena stood up hesitantly and the attention turned towards her automatically. She glanced nervously at Damon before she turned to face the sea of faces around the ballroom.

"Hi, I'm Elena, the bridesmaid and just to be clear, the wife of the best man who doesn't make a habit of going around, kissing everybody." A chorus of laughter followed her statement while she stole a peek at Damon's smug expression. "I'm very blessed to have a wonderful husband, a loving and cool aunt, a not-so-rebellious teenage brother and a bunch of really great friends who are closer than family to me. But today, I'm even more blessed to have a new member of the family, Alaric who has brought so much joy and laughter to our lives, mostly at his expense," she joked as she flashed a teasing gaze at the chuckling groom.

"It's not easy to fall in love and to find the perfect soul mate at the same time. It's very rare, but it's been known to happen before. _Love_ is not meant to be easy; that's why they call it _falling_ in love, not rolling or gliding in love. But while you're falling, it's important to remember to grab on to the things that matter and let go of the things that don't. Whatever it is, keep in mind that people are _not_ perfect and it's foolish to expect them to be. That's why you have soulmates, to complete each other in places where you're lacking and to balance and enhance where you're not. I'm ecstatic that you've found your soul mate, Jenna, like I've found mine. May you both be happy and experience joy like no other before. To Mr. and Mrs. Saltzman!" Elena raised her glass and again everyone smiled broadly and toasted to the couple. "Cheers!"

As she sat down again, she met Damon's eyes, his expression one she hadn't seen before. At that exact moment, Caroline instructed the band to start playing and then the emcee announced that it was time the newlyweds took their first dance as husband and wife on the dance floor. As the song started to play in the background, Elena and the crowd watched in awed silence at the gliding couple at the centre of the ballroom, their bodies moving effortlessly in time with the music.

"I swear the band knew what I was thinking," Damon's voice came from directly behind her chair, close enough that his breath tickled her left ear. Elena instantly whirled around in her seat, only to come face-to-face with his handsome face merely inches from hers.

"Why?" she breathed, her eyes straying to his lips for a second before snapping back to meet his again.

"Because this is my favourite song. Dance with me, Elena," he whispered back, stepping back to give her room as she stood up in a daze, her actions controlled by the need to be in his arms again. He led her to the dance floor and then without a pause, gathered her in his arms as they swayed to the song just as the next verse of 'When A man Loves A Woman' began.

"You had a weird look on your face earlier. Were you alright?" Elena suddenly asked, her face tilted back to study him.

Damon looked away for a moment, looking like he was trying to gather his thoughts to explain properly. "It just hit me suddenly, this-this feeling. I felt...happy. After months of feeling nothing but emptiness, I'm still getting used to it." His penetrating blue eyes pinned her down where she was, trapping her in his embrace as the music played on.

"I promise you, I will spend forever trying to make you feel _nothing_ but the thing you feel right now. I love you, Damon. I love you _so_ much," Elena whispered as she brought her hands up to cup his face and then she leaned up to press her lips against his softly at first, then when he returned her kiss, she tilted her head and their kiss exploded right then. He let his tongue slip through her parted lips and then he just tasted her, committing her unique scent and taste to his memory, while he grabbed onto the small of her back and bent her backwards so that every inch of his body was lined with hers.

He had forgotten how good she felt pressed tightly against him and how perfectly she seemed to fit every contour of his body. He had also forgotten that they needed to breathe, so as much as he loathed letting her lips go, he thought it might be better that they don't reunite on this ship just to die from lack of oxygen. They both had their eyes closed tightly and their foreheads touched as they gulped in oxygen for their burning lungs.

"Marry me," he gasped out suddenly, making her eyes fly open at the unexpectedness of his words.

"What?" she whispered, her forehead still connected to his so her eyes were almost cross-eyed when she tried to look in to his.

"Screw dating! Screw taking things slowly! I want you, Elena. Come back. Come back home with me after we return to the port tomorrow. We've wasted enough time already and I _cannot_ allow you to be apart from me again. Not ever," Damon said urgently as they stopped dancing; now merely standing in each other's embrace as he waited for her answer.

Elena parted her lips to speak but her mind was still spinning with his words. It was the very thing she wanted to hear from him; it was the very thing she wanted to say to him. "Okay, but you have to buy me a teddy bear," she answered softly, and that's when his face lighted up with a wide smile, his teeth showing clearly.

"Done," he agreed, immediately bending down to claim her lips again. And again and again.

* * *

><p>They stayed on that dance floor for what seemed like hours, surrounded by dozens of other couples around them but neither Damon nor Elena noticed since they were so wrapped up in their own world. As the band played the next song 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' – the Bee Gees' version – Elena trailed her lips over his jaw slowly, and then to the side of his neck where the skin was sensitive and she felt a shudder run through him.<p>

The sexy and slow beat of the song overwhelmed them as their bodies moved in time with the music, skin against skin, fingers touching fingers, toe to toe. Damon had his eyes closed again, surrendering completely to her titillating seduction, her lips now nibbling on his earlobe.

"You have _no_ idea how much I want you right now," she moaned softly, her breath tickling his ear.

He fought valiantly to regain control of his body's reaction to her words, cursing himself for acting like a schoolboy about to lose his virginity for the first time. "Elena," he reminded her roughly, "we're in the middle of a wedding reception...your aunt and my best friend's wedding reception, no less. And if I move now, the whole room is going to know _exactly_ how much _I_ want _you_ right now." His warning had no effect on the intoxicating woman in front of him.

Elena giggled charmingly as she deliberately rubbed herself on his swollen member, eliciting a low groan from him. "Damon, we haven't tried to make love against the wall yet. And if I remember correctly, there's a perfectly good and flat wall in the ladies' bathroom."

The visual that appeared in his mind was enough to drive any man insane. "Stop it, Elena," he moaned out helplessly, trying to subdue his raging libido. "We're supposed to act like adults..."

"Oh, trust me, my dear husband. What I have in mind for you...there's nothing childish about it. I can tell you that it's downright obscene, maybe even...taboo," she paused a little before she whispered the last word, as if the word itself was forbidden to be spoken out loud. It didn't help Damon's condition, not even a little.

"Alright, fine," he growled, adjusting himself so that he could attempt to walk properly. "You win, you little minx. Just turn around and walk directly in front of me and try to keep as close as you can," he instructed, casting a furtive look around them to see if anybody noticed their strange behaviour.

"Okay." Elena did exactly as he told her to, turning around carefully and made sure to smile at the passing faces as they slowly made their way over to the ladies' bathroom at the far end of the ballroom where there were sure to be less people since it was so removed from everyone. About halfway through, Elena turned back with a mischievous look at Damon, and then fled the rest of the way to the ladies' room, leaving Damon behind sporting a huge tent at the front of his trousers.

"Elena!" he bit out through his teeth, but she was too far ahead to hear him. So, he quickly removed his coat and folded it over his arms in front of him, effectively providing a cover for his crotch while he made a run for it, startling an elderly gentleman who was standing outside the male toilet. He had a glimpse of her back to him the moment he entered the bathroom, but he paused for a while, looking around for signs of another presence before he rushed to embrace her from behind, feeling her jump in surprise at his suddenness.

"You're so getting punished for that!" he growled again, pushing his hardness into her hips from behind as he nuzzled her neck, wondering why she smelled so different now than before, on the dance floor. It didn't matter; they were finally alone and he had her in his arms.

"You have _no_ idea how long I've wanted to do this since I saw you yesterday. Please don't make me wait any longer," he pleaded, pressing kisses down her neck and shoulder. "Lift up your dress."

The moan that came out of Elena didn't sound like her at all. It was lower, hoarser, and almost frantic. He understood why the moment the woman in his embrace turned around to wrap her arms around his neck as she purred, "Oh God, yes! We have to hurry though, my husband's right outside waiting for me."

Damon stepped back in shock, feeling like he'd been kicked in the groin _and_ had a bucket of ice overturned over his head as he stared at the stranger in front of him. "B-but you-you're-where's my w-wife?!" he stuttered, looking around for Elena who seemed to have disappeared.

Right on cue, the awkwardly embracing couple's heads turned in unison at the sound of a toilet flushing, followed by the stall door opening and sure enough, there was Elena, strutting out of the stall with a smirk plastered on her face.

"Really, Damon, couldn't you even tell the difference between your own wife and someone else's?" Luckily for him, her tone was teasing and she appeared to be amused rather than angry, but Damon was still stricken by the fact that he almost ravaged a stranger – correction, a _really_ old stranger just because they wore almost similar dresses. How did he even miss the obvious difference between them, namely one was his _wife_, and the other...wasn't!

"Excuse us, please," he told the stranger who still had her arms wrapped around his neck, so he had to extricate himself from her tight grip and then wrapped his fingers around Elena's wrist and dragged her out of the bathroom, away from the horrific incident that just took place.

"Elena!" he cried out in exasperation, his gaze accusing as she fought to keep a straight face.

"Damon, you almost made out with a woman who's old enough to be your mother! I'm guessing you have mommy issues. Is this what you've been up to for the past three months? I can't believe you just did that! You just redefined the very _meaning_ of taboo!" Elena's eyes were swimming with mirth as she clamped her lips close with her palm.

He shook his head and glanced worriedly at his deflated member, wondering if he had scared the General into retirement forever. "I don't think I can ever get it up again," he told Elena, his voice tinged with sadness.

Seeing his forlorn expression, she took pity on him and swallowed her laughter to show some compassion to his plight. "I'm sorry, Damon. When I went in and saw another woman there, I panicked, so I went into an empty stall, hoping that you wouldn't go in without me giving you the all-clear signal. I really had _no_ idea you were going to enter and I sure as hell didn't expect you to proposition her." Elena rolled her eyes at the idea of her husband almost having sex with an elderly woman in the bathroom with her in one of the stalls and the husband waiting right outside. Nobody would believe her even if she had told them the truth; it was _that_ preposterous!

"Well, I know for damn sure what's _not_ going to happen now, so what's next?" he asked, looking around him and feeling dirty from his unfortunate encounter.

Elena looked thoughtful for a moment and let her eyes stray towards the windows of the ballroom. With a smile, she took Damon's hand in her own, and led him to the ballroom entrance.

"Where are we going?" he asked with curiosity.

"Outside. We're taking a walk," she said simply, still leading him outside.

Damon allowed himself to be pulled but in the back of his mind, he thought that she was crazy if she thought that they were going out in that weather. "But it's raining," he told her, as if it wasn't obvious to anyone else but him. It had started to rain during the wedding ceremony, and the rain hadn't let up. That was why it looked so dark and cloudy outside, even at 5.00 p.m. when the ceremony started.

"Exactly." She let go of his hand the moment they reached the cold and balmy air outside the ballroom doors, the rain not quite reaching them from the protection of a canopy above their heads. She walked directly into the uncovered part of the ship, letting herself be soaked from the light rain as she raised her face towards the heavens. She surrendered to the freedom of the falling rain and allowed her eyes to drift close, her arms splayed outwards with the palms turned up.

Soon, she felt his warm fingers laced through hers when he came to stand behind her, his body providing some shelter to her back when he folded his arms around her middle. They stood there in the dark with her head resting back against his shoulder, letting the rain wash away her make-up, her hair spray, and their painful past.

It was a do-over, a true reset button. It was like the very first night they met all over again.

"Damon," she whispered, "could a person really meet their true love at the age of eighteen?" She didn't open her eyes, not once, not even when her lips turned upwards in a soft smile.

He pressed his lips against the side of her head, kissing her temple gently, lovingly, before murmuring, "You've always been ahead of your time, Elena."

* * *

><p><strong>The epilogue is next! <strong>

**I won't tell you to review because most of you won't do what you're told to, anyway. **

**Thanks for reading. **

**My twitter: cgsa_cher ( I post excerpts of my next chapters and stuff as I'm writing them out!)**


	42. Chapter 42

**DISCLAIMER: Okay, I lied. Didn't intend to, but the epilogue got too long that I decided to split it into two. So this chapter is like a continuation of the wedding, tying up loose ends and what nots. The next and final chapter (I double-promise, with pinky swears) is the epilogue, focusing on glimpses into their future, for the couple and also with the gang. Look at it as if this is a bonus chapter. Who doesn't like bonuses?**

**I am really sorry to Kate (This Is My Escape) who had to beta this loooooooong chapter but yet she did it without even blinking (not literally because then her eyes would water and she'd be blind by now) and no complaints. So, thank you, my dear! You rock! SERIOUSLY!**

**Thanks also to Kristi (tukct81) for being my sounding board (SB for short, similar to Separate Beds - hey, what are the odds?) and proofreader for a specific part of this chapter. You know I love you and your input! Also to Kelsey for providing a name for one of the bears, Alfonso. I hope you're happy you made the bear gay.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 42: Reality<strong>

"Is it wrong that I want to have by dose chopped off?" The congested voice came from one very sick Elena Gilbert, looking a little worse for wear.

She was dressed in one of Damon's long-sleeved shirts, her own polka-dotted pajama bottoms, an oversized sweater and was sporting that of a very red and runny nose as she surrounded herself with a thick blanket and lots of pillows on her own queen-sized bed in the room she shared with Bonnie.

"Sweetheart, you just need to take your medicine and get some rest. You'll feel better by tomorrow morning," her husband promised from his seated position on the edge of her bed, looking as if he was about to throw caution to the wind and join her in bed, even at the risk of contracting her cold.

"Dot fair," she muttered grumpily. "How cumb I'b dowd with the flu whed you're dot?" at the sight of the confused expressions around her, Elena quickly blew her nose noisily into a tissue, sounding very much like a young elephant as she did so.

Caroline gave a little laugh before she sobered to give her friend a sympathetic look. "Sorry, you sounded like you came with your own horn attached. Umm, why were you both out in the rain of all places tonight? I would have thought you'd both be bumping and grinding against a wall by now," she said, not knowing how accurate she'd been.

"That _was_ the plan until I had an unfortunate incident in the ladies bathr-," Damon paused suddenly when he realized how odd that sounded to the two ladies around him who were flashing him puzzled expressions on their faces. "Never mind," he shook his head and changed the subject abruptly, turning his frowning eyes towards his red-nosed wife. "I think you haven't been taking care of yourself in Richmond and that's why your immune system is shot. We'll have to do something about that, starting with a health check and some much needed tender loving care. Now go to sleep, Rudolph!"

His tone was commanding and he looked like he meant business so Elena hastily closed her eyes, trying her best to ignore the disappointment she felt over not being able to spend their last night on the ship with her husband the way they wanted to; damned inconvenient time to come down with a cold!

"Bon...here," Damon whispered as he silently tiptoed over to the girls to pass his room key to the wide-eyed brunette. "Take my suite tonight. I'm gonna stay here and keep an eye on my girl just in case she needs me later. I'll come by in the morning to shower and pack my stuff before we disembark, okay?"

Bonnie stared at him in shock for a moment before she was able to speak. "I get to sleep in a suite with a balcony? For real?" When Damon nodded, she couldn't contain her excitement and turned to her blonde friend enthusiastically. "Care, want a sleepover?" she asked.

"I would love to, but I promised Stefan we'd have sex tonight. Apparently, weddings get him all...riled up," Caroline said, her expressive face giving away her own eagerness to get back to her room for some 'alone' time with her man. "Imagine if it was _our_ own wedding! Later, biatches!" She flashed a grin as she hopped and skipped over to door, followed closely by a distressed Bonnie.

"Umm...Care, sometimes a simple 'No, thank you' would suffice..." Bonnie's voice trailed off into the distance, leaving behind a relieved Damon, shaking his head at the unwelcomed knowledge of his little brother's sex life and being called a 'biatch' for the first time in his life.

He turned back towards the bed, shrugging off his coat as he did so. Finding himself torn between slipping into bed beside his wife and the unoccupied bed that was Bonnie's, Damon stood motionless in a moment of indecision. With a heavy sigh, he finally decided to let Elena rest, seeing as they had the rest of their lives to share a bed. He focused on unbuttoning his white shirt as he settled in on the empty bed next to her, flipping the off switch on the table lamp as he did so.

In the sudden darkness, all he could think about was the fact that Elena was just sleeping less than five feet from him and even after months of missing her presence beside him, this was the second night that they had slept on separate beds after their reunion. It was an accomplishment on his part; hell, he should win an award! It wasn't even about sex, but more of needing her to be close to him.

_Screw it_, he thought. Her renewal of wedding vows earlier during the ceremony mentioned something about 'in sickness and in health', didn't it? Well, Elena _was_ sick, and he was a man who took his vows seriously, so there was absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to cuddle with his wife, was there? _No, there wasn't_, he told himself.

In the next moment, Damon was in Elena's bed, gently pushing aside some of the pillows surrounding her to make room for himself and as he stretched out beside her, he released a satisfied sigh. In the quiet dimness of the room, he gazed down at her child-like expression as she slept, her nose still pinkish and her lips were parted so that she could breathe through them instead of her blocked nose. He lifted a finger and traced the contours of her face delicately, feeling her hollowed cheeks and prominent jaw bones before brushing a stray lock of curled hair from her perfect face.

He leaned in closer for a moment, his own face merely a couple of inches away from hers, and he let his eyes roam over her lovingly, memorizing every single detail as much as he could. He wasn't about to take moments like these for granted ever again. Gingerly, he pressed the softest kiss on her parted lips, feeling her warm breath on his face and then he buried his face in her luxurious hair spread all over the pillow. Breathing in her mixed scent of lavender and fresh rain, he fell asleep with the girl he loved in his arms.

* * *

><p>Elena slowly regained consciousness, her mind still groggy from sleep and her eyes still too heavy to open. She released a loud yawn and stretched, feeling a hard surface under her head. She cracked open her eyes, a little disorientated when she saw bare skin and an opened shirt. Her head slowly tilted upwards, her cheeks brushing against the hard chest as she did so, and then her eyes met the most amazing pair of cerulean eyes ever; it was paired with one of his trademark smirks.<p>

"Damon?" she croaked, her voice husky from sleep. "What are you doing here? In my bed? With my germs?" She quickly moved to sit up but was held down firmly in place, her legs tangled with his under the covers with every inch of her body pressed against his.

"Hey, you got your 'm's and 'n's back! That's great!" Damon exclaimed before he pressed his lips briefly against her forehead and pressed her head back against his bare chest. Sensing her coming protests, he quickly wrapped his arms around her, trapping her against him as he enjoyed her proximity. "Let's just enjoy this moment quietly for a few more minutes. You have no idea how long I've waited to wake up in bed next to you, so stop squirming and allow me to bask in your presence, germs and all."

It was possibly the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her, so Elena sighed and relaxed into him, temporarily distracted by the wide expanse of chest in front of her. It reminded her of the night they could have had together had it not been for her stupid, weak immune system as well as her decision to go for a moonless stroll under the rain.

"Sorry for ruining our night together," she whispered, reluctant to break the spell of the quiet moment. "If I hadn't come down with a cold, I would have made sure that last night would have been the _best_ night of your existence."

Damon tilted his head down to study his wife's warm brown eyes, wondering how else she could possibly top what he felt when he held her all night long. Oh, he realized, she was talking about sex. "You didn't ruin anything, Elena. Other than the fact that you were unwell, it was _perfect_. Besides, I might still be a little traumatized by the bathroom incident and that I _almost_ cheated on you with a married cougar who I _think_ is a relative of my best friend," he said with a shudder at the memory. "Sir-Spits-a-Lot is still on strike, I think. I can only hope that it's a temporary situation and that business would be back as usual ASAP!"

"Me too," Elena sighed. "What do you have in mind right now?" And then right on cue, the couple heard loud poundings at the door and then a familiar voice.

"Top of the morning to you, my favorite niece and nephew-in-law!" Ric called out through the door, his much too jovial voice sounding strange coming from him, the usually subdued one. "Huh, actually, my _only_ niece and nephew-in-law. Come on, you two lovebirds! The rest of the gang is already downstairs for breakfast. Come down and meet my new wife!" The newlywed let out a loud chuckle and then pounded the door a few more times for good measure. And then silence.

Damon groaned aloud at the interruption. "It _figures_ that he would be happy today! I'm sure _his_ pee-pee was working just fine last night!" he commented resentfully, a tinge of envy in his voice.

_Pound, pound, pound, pound._

"I don't hear anything! Are you guys still in bed?" Ric's teasing voice came through the door again, annoying Damon to no end.

"I thought he already left, that persistent pee-pee parader!" he muttered softly before yelling out, "We're up! See you downstairs!"

And then silence again.

Elena shook her head and sat up before stretching again. "We'd better get up anyway and shower, then pack. We won't have much time after breakfast anyway," she said as she started gathering her toiletries from her luggage.

"Together?" Damon asked, his face splitting into a wide teasing smile, keeping a close eye on his wife's distracted response.

"Mmm, fine…..wait, _what_?!" she whirled around in a panic, feeling slightly relieved when he burst out laughing at her nervousness. "You _were_ joking, right?" she asked in a hopeful tone. It struck Damon as odd that she was still so opposed to taking a shower with him, despite them being married and having seen each other in various degrees of nakedness since their first date. He found it extremely adorable.

"Yes, I _was_ joking but soon, you're going to have to tell me about your aversion to taking showers with me. Do you _not_ like seeing me naked, wet and soapy?"

To his amazement, she shook her head and returned his teasing grin, "I don't have an aversion to seeing you naked in _any_ shape or form, but I just don't think we have the _time_ for that kind of kinky play, not when what I have in mind would take hours and hours out of our busy day."

Damon's jaw dropped in shock at her playfulness, seeing a side of her he'd never really known she had before. Even though he hated to admit it, apparently Richmond did wonders for her self-confidence. First she propositions him for a little tryst against the bathroom wall during a wedding reception, and now she was game for hours and hours of kinky sex? Damn if he wasn't even more in love with her now!

_Pound, pound, pound, pound._

"Come Mister tally man, tally me banana, daylight come and me wan' go home. Day, me say day, me say day, me say day-ay-ay-o, daylight come and me wan' go home," sang the unrelenting groom, his baritone voice butchering the otherwise upbeat song.

The young brunette in the room choked back a giggle while the raven haired man beside her glared at the closed door in disbelief, his expression murderous. "That son of a-" Damon cursed, and then an evil gleam appeared in his eyes. "You go ahead and take that shower, babe. I'll handle Mr. Banana Boat over there," he told her as he walked over to the door and opened it to find his smirking buddy, arms crossed over his chest and leaning casually against the wall as if he had nothing better to do.

"Oh good, you're still here. I need you to help me check something out for me," Damon said, unbuckling his belt and then unzipping his pants, much to Ric's dismay. He took immense satisfaction when his buddy's smug grin fell from his face, only to be replaced with alarm when Damon started lowering his pants and turned around so that his buttocks stuck out in front of Ric's horrified face.

"It may be a rash, but I'm not sure so-" Damon paused, grinning broadly when he heard footsteps hurrying away down the corridor. "Some _friend _he turned out to be!"

* * *

><p>"Home, sweet, home," Elena announced when Damon opened her car door and helped her out of his Camaro before leading her all the way onto the front porch. He pulled her back when she made a move to enter, holding her still for a moment.<p>

"Don't move. I'll be right back," he instructed with a stern look, making sure that she nodded in agreement before he ran back to the car to get their luggage. Flashing his wife a quick grin, he disappeared into the house for a couple of minutes before he returned to promptly scoop her up in his arms, much like how he did on the last night of their honeymoon.

"Wha-Damon! I'm wearing a dress!" Elena shrieked and burst into nervous giggles as she grabbed at her hemline before she flashed her lady parts to the entire neighborhood.

Damon chuckled with her as he kicked the door shut and then climbed up the flight of stairs and headed into their bedroom. "Admit it, babe. You're secretly hoping that I would carry you over the threshold everyday from now on," he said teasingly when he tossed his wife onto the centre of their bed, making sure she had an unrestricted view of the newly renovated bedroom.

Elena's eyes were wide with shock as she took in the new design; the room was no longer furnished in white. The walls were now covered in cream-colored textured wallpapers, their new king-sized bed frame was minimalist and stained in a rich walnut color. The full-length oval mirror was no longer propped against the wall, but was now hung length-wise against the headboard of the bed. The cabriole sofa was also gone, instead, a leather winged armchair with a footstool sat in the corner of the room, the exact same spot where she had fallen on the night she had miscarried.

"Do you like what you see?" Damon asked, studying her anxiously as he waited for her reaction. He'd spent the last month working his butt off trying to find the right colors, textures and the right design to decorate the room where so much pain took place. He didn't want Elena to come back home and take one look at the old room where all she could see and remember was the blood on the sheets and on the floor. Most of all, he just wanted both of them to move on from all the bad memories of their past and focus on the future instead. He wanted to make new memories with her right in this very room.

Elena turned her attention back to her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close. "I love it, thank you," she whispered in his ear, grateful that he seemed to always know _exactly_ what she needed, even before she even realized it herself. She didn't even consider how it would feel to return to this very room where the previous two occasions were filled with bad moments; one when she packed up her clothes to leave and the other, the worst one, when she almost bled to death.

Looking around her, all she could see were possibilities of their future, not scars from the past, and it was a wonderful feeling to share with her husband.

"I'm glad you approve, but what about _these_ guys?" Damon gestured to a bunch of items scattered across the foot of the bed, previously gone unnoticed by his young wife.

Elena gasped in wonder when she saw them. "You got me teddy bears?" she asked, her mouth gaping in awe as she reached out to pick one up, then the next, and the next.

"Well, I figured you'd miss Mr. Cuddles so I got one bear at first, then I saw another that I thought you might like, so I got that too. Then, I went to a store to pick out the bedding and that's when I saw _that_ one," Damon gestured to the stuffed toy Elena was admiring, a soft brown bear with sewn patches all over its body. "That's my favorite one. He looked like he went through hell but made it out in one adorable piece."

Elena laughed at his description, thinking how accurate he was in describing the fluffy bear in her grip. "Honestly, this one's my favorite, too. I shall name him…..Lord Snuggleton," she announced finally after a brief pause for deliberation, hugging her new bear to her chest. Then, to avoid being rude to the other two, she picked up the first bear that Damon chose, her fingers stroking its crimson-colored fur on top of its head and chest hair. "This one's a red-head!" she observed with a giggle.

Her husband nodded and said, "That's G-boy, short for Ginger Boy; Jer named him." Damon's eyes crinkled in amusement when he heard Elena's tinkling laughter. "And _that's_ Alfonso," he announced, referring to the second bear he got her, the one wearing a tuxedo and a lopsided smile sewn on its face.

"Alfonso?!" Elena repeated with her head thrown back, erupting into fits of giggles. "How did you come up with that?"

"_I_ didn't, Elijah did. According to our favorite homosexual friend, Alfonso has quite an interesting back story. Apparently, he's a struggling actor who came to New York in search of fame but ended up as a gay _maître d'_ instead. It's all _very_ dramatic," explained Damon with his trademark eye-rolling.

His wife let out a squeal and then threw her arms around him before burying her head in his neck, her body quaking with laughter against his. "Crazy, you're all crazy!" she mumbled against his skin. Damon pressed a kiss on the side of her head and then he said quietly, "But you love us anyway, especially _me_."

Elena drew back her head to gaze deeply into his soft blue eyes, her expression serious for once. "Actually…I love Lord Snuggleton the most!" With that, she struggled out of his arms and made a graceful leap off the bed, just barely out of his reach and ran out of the room, chuckling madly as she did.

"Why you little-" Damon sputtered indignantly before he went out after her. "Elena, take that back! Elena!" He chased her out onto the landing, sending her into a panic mode when he started gaining on her, so she ran down the stairs in a playful attempt to get away from him. Seeing her taking off at top speed down the stairs, Damon experienced a moment of terror when he recalled the last time his wife took a tumble down those very steps. "Elena, stop!" he yelled out, fear evident in his voice.

Reacting more to his tone than to his words, Elena halted abruptly on the middle span of the stairs just as he reached her. "Why, what's the matter?" she asked him when she saw the worry on his face.

"I-I keep recalling the sound of the impact when you hit your head against the wall; it happens every time I'm on this staircase," Damon admitted in a low voice, his attention on the exact spot of the wall he was referring to. His wife was quiet for a few seconds as she studied him, but then decided to distract him from the horrible memories.

Elena cupped his cheeks, turning his sad blue eyes up to hers and gave him a teasing smile. "Hey, Damon, trust me when I say that I'm no longer that clumsy girl I used to be. If I can dance around in six-inch 'stripper' heels, I can walk down a flight of stairs without hurting myself." Her use of that buzz word was deliberate and apparently, it worked very well, seeing that her husband was looking at her curiously now.

"_Stripper_ heels? Do I even want to know what kind of dancing you've been doing in Richmond?" he asked warily, mental images of his young wife in scantily clad clothes gyrating to "Do You Wanna Touch Me" flashing in his mind.

Elena played coy for a moment, deliberately lowering her eyes as if she was embarrassed to admit it, effectively raising his alarm. "I've been taking pole dancing classes, you know, to lose the post-pregnancy weight and also to tone my lower body," she admitted finally, after making him almost burst with suspense.

Damon's mind immediately conjured up a different set of images now, those of his wife strutting sexily around a stage and then curling her long legs erotically around a fixed vertical pole wearing nothing but 'stripper' heels, or as he liked to call it, 'fuck-me' heels. "Th-that's kinda hot," he said as he swallowed audibly.

"Not the way _I_ did it," Elena chuckled. "I had so many bruises and friction burns around my thighs from sliding down the pole that you'd think I was covered in hickeys! But it's a great form of exercise because it requires strength, flexibility and endurance. It also helped that I did a lot of yoga before. Now, I can probably straddle any pole out on the streets and have my way with them as long as they are the right size!"

Her double-meaning did not go unnoticed by Damon. Neither did his previously dormant erection. He stiffened in disbelief when he felt his pants tightened, mentally thanking God that he wasn't 'broken' like he thought he was after getting spooked by the cougar in the ladies' room. He decided to keep feeding the beast to see if it was a fluke.

"So, size matters? Does it affect the rhythm when you slide up and down it like the sexy vixen you are?" he quipped with a smirk, his eyes darkening with desire.

Elena's eyes narrowed suspiciously, her lips turned up at the corners when she noticed the return of his playfulness. _Things to do today: Distract overprotective husband from memories of head injury and unsuccessful staircase acrobatics – Check!_

"It depends on the person doing the sliding," she answered in a sultry voice. "There are different skills involved with different types of poles. Of course, _I_ wouldn't know because I've only used the _one_, but it's _perfect_ for me, especially when it's all slick and smooth, providing me with a faster, more fluid….pace, as I grip it firmly between my thighs." Her sexual double-entendres were not lost on Damon; if anything, his arousal grew to _twice_ the size of what he felt only moments before.

"Elena," he groaned out in frustration, afraid to even move. "Don't make any sudden movements, but _he's_ back. Sir-Spits-a-Lot is back, and he wants to play," he warned her in a low voice, gripping his wife tightly to him when his whole body shook with anticipation. After all, he _had_ been celibate for the past three months; it was no wonder that a random subject like pole-dancing would result in him getting a rise out of it. (Pun intended)

Elena bit her lower lip as she lowered her gaze to his lower body, gasping with delight at the sight of the bulge in his pants. She sank down to her knees directly in front of Damon, shocking him into speechlessness when she started to undo his belt and zipper, and the next thing he knew, he was bare from the waist down. "Then, let's play," she whispered, her wide doe eyes innocently looking up at him despite the impure action she was about to perform.

"Jesus!" he grunted when her mouth enveloped his erection, making him throw back his head at the exquisite torture as his hands grabbed onto her hair for dear life. It was downright dirty, the things she did to him with her lips and tongue, swirling around him relentlessly until he was about to burst from pleasure. Elena raised her hands and cupped his buttocks, holding him against her as her head bobbed in quick succession, eliciting a long moan from deep within his chest.

It had been too long and he was extremely hard and aroused to keep up with her ministrations any longer without erupting in her mouth soon, so he growled her name and pulled her up to her feet. He slid her dress up over her head in one smooth motion, discarding the garment over his head to somewhere further up the stairs while she, in turn, tugged his black shirt off his muscular frame.

Nudging one of her bra straps over her shoulder, Damon planted a kiss along one shoulder, nibbling on the sensitive flesh of her neck before moving to the other shoulder to repeat the process. She was clinging to him now, her neck arched to the side to give his lips better access. One of his hands disappeared behind her, and then her bra gave way, baring her breasts to his heated gaze. He bent his head low to wrap his lips around one inviting nipple, the tip hardening into a tight bud in his mouth as his tongue teased it, wetting it in the process.

Elena cried out when she felt his teeth bite down softly on the responsive tip, making her knees quiver when the sensation sent a sharp pain of desire down to the apex of her thighs. She collapsed against him, sending them both sprawling against the hard surface of the steps, with her straddling his thighs.

"Damon," she breathed in his ear, her warm breath tickling him and turning him on even more at the same time. "I can't wait anymore. Fuck me…._hard_," she pleaded throatily, her need for him evident in the way she rubbed herself against his rock hard shaft.

"Jesus," he groaned again when he finally released her nipple, now swollen and red from his assault. "You're nineteen and innocent. You're not supposed to be this…wanton," he muttered, his hands stilling her movements. If she teased him anymore, he was going to cum all over the stairs like a fucking schoolboy.

Elena chuckled, her body vibrating against him, making him grit his teeth as he fought for control. "Babe, when I'm good, I'm _very_ good, but when I'm bad….." she paused for effect as her lips trailed from his jaw line to his ear, "…I'm fantastic." With that, she sank her teeth down on his earlobe, making him howl with pain, exciting him further.

He had enough with foreplay; if she wanted to be fucked, then she'd get what she wanted.

Damon reached down and tore her flimsy panties apart, tossing it over the banister before he pressed a finger into her heat, feeling her wetness flowing out onto his hand. She was ready; _boy_ was she ready. Without further prompting, he positioned her hips to align himself with her opening, and then he leaned back onto the steps, his hands on her waist.

"Go ahead, show me how you work a pole," he invited, his eyes now black with passion as he gazed up at her. They both cried out loudly when she impaled herself on his thick shaft, feeling him sliding all the way inside her until he bottomed out. This reunion of their bodies had been a long time coming, but they never forgot what it was like to be joined so intimately together.

It felt so good, like fireworks on the fourth of July or like the first time they made love on Ric's couch. It was magical, it was perfect, it was a string quartet playing the most beautiful melody ever.

Then, she started moving. First, sliding up slowly and then sinking down again, allowing him to penetrate deeper each time she moved. Then, with his burning erection still buried deep inside her, she began to gyrate her hips, using her inner muscles to contract around him, squeezing until he moaned out his pleasure. She rode him hard, she rode him fast, he didn't stand a chance, and he was about to blast.

Damon sat up and clamped his hands on her buttocks, squeezing the flesh so hard that he left his handprint there. He pulled her hips down onto his at the same time he thrust upwards, their bodies now joined so tightly together there wasn't any space for air to pass through.

Elena was screaming his name, her voice rising into a fevered pitch and then it reached a crescendo when she came violently, her entire body shaking from the force of her orgasm. Damon buried his lips on hers, muffling his own yell when he released his seed deep into her cervix, his warm spurts of cum coating her inner walls as he jerked against her body repeatedly. She was still trembling when he released his bone-crushing hold on her hips, and then he crumpled back onto his back, taking her with him as she landed on top of his heaving chest.

It took a long while for both of them to stir again, their bodies completely exhausted and sore from the recent activity. Damon sighed wearily as he caressed her back, his fingers light on her sweaty skin.

"I've decided to hire you into my company," he announced out of the blue.

Elena, too tired to even lift her head up to look at him, merely buried her head deeper into his neck. "As what?" she murmured lazily. She didn't think she was equipped to handle anything in his new company, let alone be paid for it.

"Elena Gilbert, you're hereby hired as an Erection Manager of EA Corporation," he said, eliciting a rumbling laughter from his exhausted wife, the movements of her body doing delicious things to his since they were still intimately joined. "You can work from home, the hours are flexible but an occasional clock-in at the office would be much appreciated, and welcomed."

When their laughter died down, she finally managed to find the strength to lift her head to look down at his beaming face. "EA Corporation?" she asked, wondering if her suspicion was correct.

It was.

"Elizabeth Ava Corporation. I named the company after our daughter. After all, without her, we wouldn't have been able to find our way back to each other after our first date. Oddly enough, I feel grateful to John Gilbert for being the heartless bastard he is. Otherwise, who knows what could've happened by now?" Damon said softly, raising his hand to run his fingers through her soft hair.

His wife smiled but refused to credit the man who ruined her life for being with the most wonderful man she had ever met. Her brown eyes were soft and shimmering with tears, touched that he would name his company after their baby girl. It was further proof that his love for her had been real. "I want to go visit her, tomorrow. Can we do that?"

"Of course we can. I'm sure she missed you. Mr. Cuddles, too," Damon answered, crushing her against him in a hug, feeling like all was right in the world again.

And then the doorbell rang.

* * *

><p>Detective Edward Fielding was looking around him anxiously, a habit he picked up from his days in the army, when the front door opened to reveal a tousle-haired and jeans-clad Damon Salvatore. The younger man's expression of surprise was enough to convince the detective that his presence was unexpected, and perhaps even unwelcomed.<p>

"Detective Fielding, what a, ummm, surprise," Damon said finally, slightly breathless as he stepped out onto the front porch, discretely closing the door behind him to give Elena some privacy.

"Not a pleasant one, I'm sure, and I'm sorry for dropping in unexpectedly on a Sunday afternoon, but something happened recently that I felt I had to inform you. I've been trying to reach you over the past few days," the detective said, his tone apologetic.

Damon nodded with a worried frown on his forehead before explaining the reason for his absence. "Yeah, we were on a cruise ship, attending a wedding. We just got back this morning. What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, concern etched on his handsome face. There really weren't that many reasons for Detective Fielding's appearance on his doorstep; it had to be pertaining to the case.

Ignoring Damon's lack of manners for failing to invite him into the house, Edward decided to say what he came to say without any further preamble. "Katherine Pierce was attacked a month ago."

Judging by the shock and gaping jaw on Damon's face, it was obvious that it was the last thing he expected. "Is she dead?" he asked simply when he got over the shocking news, his emotions all over the place. Sure, he had been angry – no, he was _furious_ with Katherine at one point, and had been on the verge of bashing her head into a wall, but now...he might have hated his ex, but he certainly no longer wished for her death.

"No, it's worse," was all Edward said in a low voice. What could be worse than death? _Pain_, Damon realized. "She'd been asking for you since yesterday. The reason we didn't tell you was because it was an ongoing investigation and she had been in the hospital until this past Friday. Would you like to go see her now?" Edward asked, his tone clearly suggesting that it was what he expected the shirtless man to do.

"Ummmm, well..." Damon hesitated, feeling torn between staying back with his wife at home and finding out what happened. He had to admit that he felt curious over Katherine's state of being, and couldn't help but to be worried over the detective's vague statement. _At least she was alive_, he thought.

"Yes, he will," a soft female voice said suddenly, and both men's heads snapped over to the half-opened door, revealing a disheveled Elena, dressed only in Damon's shirt, a few sizes too large for her smaller frame that came to her mid-thighs. She looked delicious and oh-so-fuckable!

"Sweetheart, I came outside to give you some privacy and you couldn't even be bothered to put on some _pants_?" Damon complained, hating the way her lovely body was exposed to the detective _and_ their neighbors even with his shirt on. God, there was nothing sexier than a woman in her man's shirt, looking like she was thoroughly ravaged just moments before, her hair a sexy tangled mess around a flushed face. She could still be wet between her thighs from their passionate coupling with his essence still inside her...

Oh, right. Katherine. Damon struggled to pull his attention from his wife's long and slender legs, legs that were wrapped tightly around his waist as he plundered into her on the stairs, over and over again until...

"I was too busy eavesdropping," Elena's confession and guilty expression finally managed to divert his attention from his extremely x-rated thoughts and then he flashed her a reprimanding look. "Hello, Edward," she greeted and smiled at the amused man who was the only one who had a complete set of clothes on.

"Hello, Elena. It's been too long since I last saw you. You look even more beautiful than I remembered," said the detective who was grinning like an idiot at the sight of the young lady's blush.

Annoyed at the praise and attention the detective was showering on his wife, Damon cleared his throat and asked, "Can Elena come with me if I go and see Kat?" He didn't want to go anywhere without Elena right beside him, especially when it came to dealing with his ex and the case. He really had no idea what he'd find when he saw Kat again, but whatever it was, he'd do it with his wife right there with him. As he mentioned before, they were a packaged deal.

"Dressed like that? Sure," Edward joked, flashing a wink at Elena. Damon fought an overwhelming urge to swing his fist at something; his face. Surely, the man didn't need _both_ eyes to drive, did he?

Sensing Damon's rising displeasure at their guest, Elena quickly intervened, pulling his arm towards the door as she said, "Edward, please make yourself at home in the living room. We'll just freshen up and then change, then we'll go, okay?" When the detective nodded with a grateful smile, Elena turned around, leading the way into the house, and then the couple headed upstairs while Edward sat down on a couch, his ever-perusing eyes taking stock of everything in the room until they zeroed in on an item left unnoticed in a corner near the stairs.

It was a pair of torn underwear.

"Sometimes, I just _love_ my job," Edward muttered with a broad grin.

* * *

><p><em>* * HALF AN HOUR LATER * *<em>

"Katherine's _here_?" Damon asked in astonishment, his voice raised a little louder to be heard over the din created by the chaotic scenes around him and Elena. He pulled her closer to him and held onto her hand tighter as they walked pass a crowded room, feeling her body tense with fear beside him. He didn't blame her; he felt afraid and confused himself.

"Yes, she's just up ahead, in her room," Edward gestured to a closed door at the end of a corridor, and then a few more steps and the three of them were directly in front of it. He hesitated for a moment before he addressed the ill-at-ease couple in front of him. "Look, I don't think it's a good idea for Elena to see her. I won't lie to you both; it's not pretty," he said before he flinched at his use of that particular word.

"I think Elena's much stronger than you give her credit for, Detective Fielding. We'll _both_ go in, no matter what. We can handle it, whatever _it_ is," Damon announced firmly, glancing at the nervous girl beside him before she gave a jerky nod of her head, her fingers gripping his hand even harder now.

Edward nodded thoughtfully and sighed in defeat. "Okay, but you two should know that the attack was...brutal. We caught the perpetrator because she fought back and marked him, giving us an opportunity to identify the guy. We just found out that he was hired to give Katherine Pierce a warning; the man behind the attack was Lockwood."

At that announcement, Elena and Damon exchanged a puzzled look before understanding dawned on their faces. "Mason was trying to scare her off from testifying against him?" Damon guessed accurately.

"Yeah, but we lucked out because we can now pin attempted murder and assault on him on _top_ of the fraud charges. When John Gilbert heard about the attack on Katherine, he got spooked and spilled everything he knew about your case. He's now our second witness and he also requested for solitary confinement in prison since his life is now in danger," Edward seemed amused for a moment and then a feeling of pride overcame him. "Lockwood's going down. Ain't no judge he can buy to get him out of the mess he's in, _this_ time."

"What about Katherine?" Elena asked quietly, feeling a momentary stab of pain in her chest at the thought of her only remaining parent behind bars and having his life threatened, until she remembered the fact that he was a monster who deserved every single bad thing that ever happened to him...and more. He was the one who made Elena doubt herself; he was the one who made his own daughter feel worthless and unwanted. He abandoned her first, by shirking his responsibilities as a parent and a guardian after her adoptive parents died. He kicked her out of her own home and used her to gain some money from her in-laws. John Gilbert didn't deserve her compassion nor her sympathy.

Edward sighed again, clamping his mouth shut. In all his life as an army guy, and then years and years of police work, he had seen some pretty crazy, fucked up shit, but _this_ one in particular disturbed him more than most for some reason. It was beyond the pale, meant to cause such hurt and anguish that he was really glad that both people who were responsible for it were now behind bars. It was one thing to kill people, and it was quite another to do what they did to a young woman. He didn't see any way that she could pick up the pieces after this.

"I'll let you judge for yourselves," he said finally, pushing the door open and gesturing for the couple to enter the spacious room, brightly lit by the opened windows on one wall.

Damon entered cautiously at first, not knowing what to expect and then he felt Elena standing closer to him, their fingers still interlinked. Their eyes immediately zeroed in on a still figure seated on a hospital bed, her back towards them as she stared out the window. Simultaneously, both Damon and Elena turned and met each other's eyes before they turned back towards the bed, and then they cautiously approached the motionless woman, her lacklustre dark locks wild and cascading down her back.

Elena paused when she was a couple of feet from the bed, uncertain if she should proceed any further, and Damon seemed to agree since he didn't want her to be any closer to the woman who had caused so much anguish to them both, whether willingly or not. He patted his wife's hands and gave a warning look as if to implore her to stay put while he took a few more steps around the bed so that he could almost see the profile of Kat's right side of her face.

"Kat?" he called out softly so as not to alarm her. Her head turned a few degrees to the right at the sound of his voice, but he still couldn't get a good view of her. "It's Damon. You wanted to see me?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

When she heard his name, Katherine's head turned fully to face him, giving him his first unobstructed view of the left side of her face and body. He choked back his exclamation of horror at the sight of her disfigured face covered with a clear plastic mask, and then his head turned swiftly towards Elena who had released a horrified gasp with one hand covering her gaping mouth as she moved closer to Damon.

"Elena, maybe you _should_ wait outside," he murmured, meeting his wife's tear-filled eyes, filled with empathy for the other brunette.

"Damon, you came," Katherine spoke in an unrecognizable voice, no longer sultry and low, but hoarse and deep as if she had just swallowed sand. Damon tore his eyes away from Elena's to focus on his ex's right eye, the other one blocked by an eye patch. But he couldn't help but to study the extent of her injuries in detail, fighting back nausea as he did so.

It was obvious that she was attacked by having sulphuric acid thrown at her at an angle. The acid destroyed nearly the entire left side of her face, neck and even parts of her scalp, leaving her hair uneven and bald on certain spots. Her lips were swollen to almost three times the normal size and she basically looked nothing like her former self. It was an extremely heartbreaking sight to behold, for this was not something Damon would wish upon anyone, not even if they destroyed his life.

"I've been thinking about our wedding, Damon, and I think you should wear white. I mean, you've always looked very handsome in white and I want us to look our best since we'd be the star of our very special day, right?" Katherine said, clearly confused or even hallucinating. That would explain why they were in a _mental_ hospital instead of a regular one.

"Umm, I-I guess so," Damon nodded, not knowing how to react in such situations since this was a first. Needless to say, Katherine must have had a mental breakdown following her attack since her most prized asset was her beauty, and if she didn't have her looks, what _else_ did she have, really? Mason really outdid himself in terms of sending a warning to a witness; it was beyond cruel to subject a young woman who was at the prime of her life by destroying her looks and self-esteem.

Suddenly, Katherine's expression changed when she saw Elena, still standing frozen at her spot not far behind him. "Who is _she_? Why did you bring her here to our home?" she hissed, and then made a move as if to lurch from the bed, causing Damon to jump in front of Elena, pushing her behind him protectively. His efforts were wasted, however, when they both saw the reason why she was so still before; her hands were restrained to the bed.

"She's just a friend, Kat! Sh-she's just here for...for..." Damon stammered as he racked his brain for an excuse for Elena's presence.

"...to help with the wedding planning," finished Elena, her hand pushing Damon aside so that she could move closer to Katherine who was watching her suspiciously.

Damon's eyes narrowed on his wife as she ventured even closer to his ex, and then he regained his senses and pulled her back to him, flashing her a 'Don't-be-stupid' look. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Elena?" he whispered angrily.

"I'm trying to help her. She _needs_ our help," Elena answered in a pleading tone. Damon shook his head in warning, but his heart almost burst with pride over her huge heart, still willing to help the very person who had personally made her life a living hell just months ago. He had never wanted to kiss her more than he did at that moment, right before he told her how stupid she was being.

Katherine watched their exchange warily, feeling threatened by the other brunette who was standing so close to her fiancée; at least, in _her_ mind, he _was_ her fiancée. "What are you two whispering about there?" she demanded to know. "Damon, I don't want you to see her again. She's trying to break us up, don't you see that? She thinks she can steal you from me just because she's pretty, but I know what she's up to! I won't let her ruin our wedding."

With that statement, she turned back to the window, muttering to herself about being the most beautiful bride and how happy they'd be together. Her body rocked from side to side as she retreated into her own world she had created in her mind, oblivious to the sympathetic looks shot her way by the couple at the end of bed.

_It was time to go_, Damon decided. He didn't want Elena to be in a mental hospital any longer than they already were, so he pushed her towards the room door, calling out to the rocking figure as he went. "You're right, Kat, I wasn't thinking. I'll show her out, okay?"

Katherine showed no sign that she heard him, so he hastily ushered his wife out of the depressing room, only to be met with Detective Fielding right outside.

"I told you it wasn't a pretty sight, didn't I?" Edward said as soon as the door closed behind them, studying their pained expressions when they walked closer to him. It was hard for _him_ to stomach it, let alone two people who had known the victim personally, one of them even engaged to her before.

"Yes, you did," Damon agreed as he wrapped a comforting arm around Elena's shoulder, holding her as close to him as possible. Whatever they just witnessed, it was traumatic for her as much as it was for him, and it was then that he vowed never to let Elena go through something like that again. "What's going to happen to Kat now?"

"I don't know yet, but her father had gone into hiding ever since her attack. He seems to think that he's Lockwood's next target. But don't worry, I'll try to get the best medical help for her; she _is_ a Pierce after all. I'll update you now and then if you want," Edward offered.

Damon nodded gratefully, giving the detective a small smile before saying, "I'd appreciate it. I'd better get Elena home. Thanks again, Detective Fielding." He reached out and shook Edward's hand, and then they walked out of the building with heavy hearts.

* * *

><p><em>Damon found himself sitting on his kitchen barstool, enjoying immensely watching his wife attempt to cook him breakfast. She was trying to prove that the cooking classes she took during their brief relationship hiatus in Richmond were effective in turning her into a less hopeless chef. <em>

_He smiled as Elena ran in and out of the Proposal Pantry, forgetting one ingredient after another as the pan heated on the stove. "Onions, tomatoes, and mushroom," she muttered to herself before she disappeared into the pantry yet again. She chopped and sliced and then surveyed the prepared ingredients before running to the fridge, her head and arms disappearing behind the opened door. She re-emerged soon after with red and green peppers, flashing a sheepish grin over at her curious husband when she hurried past him._

"_Are you making a pizza, by any chance?" Damon guessed after surveying the items on the kitchen counter. Frankly, he expected two slices of toast bread with peanut butter and jelly when his wife had mentioned breakfast earlier, but he had not counted on her making a feast for a whole army when it was just for the two of them._

_She gave him an astonished look and shook her head with a little laugh. "No, I'm making omelets. Wasn't that obvious?" she asked, grinning at him jovially. Damon got distracted a little by her brilliant smile; it was a sight that happened more and more frequently these days, he noted with satisfaction. It was nice to see her so happy. _

"_I wouldn't have guessed in a million years! All these ingredients just for an omelet? What about the main component in this unique recipe of yours?" he asked with a lifted brow. _

_Elena seemed perplexed for a moment and took an inventory of the already prepared items on the counter. "I don't think that I missed anything, did I?" _

"_Eggs, perhaps? Unless you have learned some fancy way of cooking omelets without using eggs, I'd demand a refund from that cooking class of yours," Damon quipped, his eyes glinting with amusement at her blush._

"_Dammit!" she cursed loudly, running over to the fridge yet again to remove an egg carton. "Well, you don't have to be all smug about it!" she scolded when he stifled a chuckle. _

_He was spared from having to retort when the front door opened and he heard Ric's voice accompanied by footsteps. "We're here!" And sure enough, his best friend with his new wife, Jenna came into the kitchen, followed closely by Stefan and Caroline. _

"_What are you doing, Damon?" his brother asked as he took a seat next to him along the kitchen island. The four visitors seemed to be oblivious to the chaos happening in his kitchen right then. _

"_I'm witnessing an accident waiting to happen as Elena attempts to cook," he grinned broadly at his wife, who finally started work on the sizzling pan, pouring in a mixture of ingredients followed by some beaten eggs. It _smelled_ wonderful, for now. _

"_Oh ye of little faith,"_ _she countered without lifting her watchful eyes from the pan._ _She would not fail; she _could_ not fail, not with Damon looking over her shoulders!_

_Damon flashed a smirk at her before asking, "Does it even matter? You know I'd eat it anyway. Have I ever said no to you before?" She appeared to consider for a moment and then shook her head with a sigh, giggling softly. _

"_Damon, do you want to eat something? I could get you some food," Jenna offered from behind him, her worried eyes focused on him._

_He burst out laughing and said teasingly, "See, Elena? Even your aunt doesn't have faith in your cooking!" While he bantered to and fro with the brunette hard at work at the stove, he didn't notice the guarded looks exchanged among the other four behind his back. _

"_Umm, Damon? Are you okay?" Ric asked with evident concern in his voice and expression. Damon turned around to find that the others were looking at him as if he had gone crazy. _

"_I'm fantastic, why?" _

_Again, his four visitors exchanged knowing looks and then Caroline stepped up to him and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You were talking to yourself again," she told him, patting his back soothingly. _

"_What? What are you talking about? I'm talking to El-," Damon paused when he turned his gaze back towards the stove, his expression suddenly changing to confusion. "Where'd she go? She was just here a moment ago!" _

_He got up from the stool and stalked to the other side of the kitchen, only to find the counters empty, when seconds ago, they were covered with plates and containers of Elena's latest cooking escapade. There wasn't a trace of his wife at all!_

"_Who, Damon?" Stefan asked when he got up and approached his brother, a worried frown on his forehead. It was Damon's turn to look at the younger Salvatore as if he was crazy. "What do you _mean_, who? Elena, of course! She was just there, cooking! You all saw her when you walked in!" he insisted in frustration, his mind all over the place as he panicked and wondered where his wife disappeared to._

_Caroline sighed wearily, catching Stefan's tortured gaze as she moved closer to Damon, her arms outstretched as if to envelope him in her arms. "Damon," she breathed, her blue-green eyes swimming with sad tears. "It's time we had our little talk again."_

"_Care, w-what is it? You're scaring the hell out of me! Where's Elena?" Damon demanded, increasingly worried that he had no idea where she went. It was like she was there one second, then he blinked and she was gone. _

_The blonde haired girl nodded sadly, her heart full of compassion for the man she'd come to love as a brother. "We've had this conversation before, Damon. But you never seem to remember after we leave. I really hate doing this to you over and over again, so you better listen up and listen good this time, because none of us have the strength to do this another time." _

_She inhaled deeply and braced herself to break his heart yet again. "Damon, Elena…..died three months ago. That day at the hospital when she started bleeding, her and the baby….they didn't make it." Caroline broke the news to him gently, seeing his face screwed up in anguish._

"_No, no she survived….I _know_ she did! S-she…Elena was mad at me for a while, and she even left me for a few months, but she came back! She came back to me and we reconciled on your wedding day, Ric!" Damon turned his tortured blue eyes to his buddy and then flashed over to a sobbing Jenna. "Elena was your bridesmaid," he mumbled, suddenly unsure of himself. "Don't you remember?"_

_Ric shook his head, conveying his heart break for his best friend's state of mind as he admitted softly, "No, Damon, because Jenna and I never got married. We wanted to wait to give everyone time to move on," he paused briefly. "I'm really sorry, Damon." _

_Damon stared at the people around him speechlessly, his mind rejecting the truth because it was insane! There was no way that he had conjured up a whole 3-month long delusion as a coping mechanism for his wife's death! No, it had felt too real, everything they went through, their talks on the ship, their confrontation at the train station, him forcing her to confront the truth about their daughter's death, their reunion; it was all true! It _had_ to be!_

"_No, y-you're lying! This can't be true, it's _not_ true!" Damon denied vehemently, but their expressions didn't even flicker, sending warning bells to his brain. Finally, doubt began to set in and he turned to Caroline. "You said that you've told me this before, so why don't I remember?" he asked, his uncertainty beginning to show in his expression. _

_Caroline hesitated before she cupped his cheeks to force him to meet her gaze. "We've told you the truth everyday for the past three months, and every time after, you'd break down and cry and rant, but then you'd choose to retreat into this fantasy life you've created where Elena is alive and you can live out this happy ever after dream life with her. But it's _not_ real, Damon. And the sooner you accept that fact, the sooner you can come home."_

_Damon looked up with eyes gleaming with unshed tears and saw the four people he loved the most, after his wife and still born daughter, staring at him with so much pain, and right then, he knew that they were telling him the truth. He turned back to the stove area, willing his eyes to see Elena's perfect face and smiling lips one last time, just so that he could say goodbye, but all he saw were white walls and white chairs, in a room identical to Katherine's at the mental hospital. Alarmed, he looked down at himself, and sure enough, he was sitting alone on a hospital bed, his arms bound by a straitjacket._

* * *

><p>Damon lurched up in a panic, his cheeks wet from the disturbing images still so vivid in his head, and it took him several minutes before his heart rate slowed enough for him to realize that he was on a bed, only it wasn't white and he wasn't alone. Like in his dream, he looked down only to be met with his own bare chest, not a straitjacket. With hope in his chest, he turned his head to the sleeping figure next to him, and then he almost wept when he saw his wife's peaceful form facing him.<p>

With trembling fingers, he slowly reached out towards her, his heart gripped in fear. What if she wasn't real? What if she wasn't _actually_ beside him? What if she was just a figment of his imagination, like he had hallucinated in his dream? Oh God, what if _this_ was the dream and that mental institution scene was the reality?

When his fingers made contact with her skin, he released a sigh of relief but it wasn't enough to convince him, not if he had a vivid imagination. So he pinched her arm, non-too-gently either, but it was enough to wake her up. Elena's eyes flew open at the unexpected twinge of pain, and then upon seeing his watery eyes, she sat up in alarm.

"Damon? What happened?" she asked, sweeping her gaze over his face and chest with her panicked eyes, and then she cupped his cheeks much like how Caroline did in his dream. When he felt her warm hands on his face, he crumbled and snatched her to him, almost knocking the breath out of her lungs with his tight grip. "Damon, wh-"

"You're here, you're real," he whispered achingly, his hands running over her body, touching every single inch of her that he could reach. "Elena," he managed to choke out while still clutching her to him, "please tell me that this is real, that you're _really_ here and this is not something that I'm imagining." He pulled back slightly from her, his shimmering blue eyes roving over her worried appearance.

He lifted his hand and brushed her hair off her forehead, letting himself feel her soft and smooth skin, afraid to trust his own eyes. "If this is a dream, then I don't want to wake up. I _never_ want to wake up again," he declared softly, his eyes searching hers and then without giving her a chance to respond, he crushed his lips onto hers, devouring her as if he could never get enough of her.

Her concern over his confusion faded a little as she succumbed to the passion he evoked in her body, allowing him to push her back onto the soft bed, his body following along. She knew that the Katherine visit affected Damon more than he let on; she felt the same way too. She also knew that his abandonment issues were solely _her_ fault, and that she would have to spend the rest of her life convincing him that she would never leave him again.

Since he robbed her of the ability to speak with his lips, she decided to _show_ him the truth, to separate fact from fiction. And that fact was, she loved him; body, mind and soul. And she wasn't about to go anywhere without him again.

Elena parted her lips, and the instant she did, his tongue slipped in, fluttering against hers, tasting her until she was breathless under him. Her hands explored the smooth muscles on his back, her nails gently scraping along his spine, making him shiver from the sensation. Her thighs parted and he sank down between them, then she used her feet to push his pyjama bottoms downward, over his hips, down his thighs until they pooled around his ankles.

She could feel his arousal against her spread thighs and without breaking their lip lock, her hand reached down between their bodies and then he gasped out loud when he felt her dainty fingers circled around him. Her firm grip teased him as she moved her hand in an upward and downward motion, pumping him until his head was wet with pre-cum. His body gave a jerk when he felt her thumb sweeping against the slit at the tip of his manhood, eliciting a moan from him as he broke contact with her romantic mouth and buried his head in the crook of her neck.

Elena lifted her hips slightly and it was as if he could read her mind, as his hands slipped down to push her nightgown up so that they bunched around her toned waist, baring her lower body. Driven purely by instinct and their mutual need to be one, her hand guided his erection to the one place where it belonged, until he was poised right at the entrance of her wet warmth.

He pulled back just enough to gaze into her similarly wet eyes, searching for something, whether it was a sign, consent, or some form of approval to feel wanted, needed, even loved.

"I love you," Elena declared, letting her need for him show through her glistening eyes as tears spilled over the corners, staining the pillow. Hearing that, he drove into her in one swift motion, groaning deeply as she enveloped him perfectly. With one hand braced against the bed so that he didn't crush her, the other found hers, intertwining their fingers together as he brought their joined hands next to her face. She cried out when his hips started to move in a steady rhythm, burying himself deeper and deeper on each downward stroke, pushing them both towards the edge.

When Elena's hips lifted to meet his thrusts, he released a loud grunt, struggling to maintain control until she was right there on the edge with him. She pressed her lips to his once again, softly, feeling their breaths mingling as his face scrunched up in pleasure. "This is real, Damon," she mumbled. "I'm here, and _this_ time…it's forever."

"Oh God, I love you!" Damon roared out as he erupted inside her, the force of his release sparking her own orgasm, causing her to cry out against his mouth, muffling her screams as she fell over the edge right behind him. His arm gave way and he collapsed on top of her, feeling her body quivering against his as they slowly recovered from their love-making.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, they just laid there on the bed, gasping for breath. Then Elena reached down with her free hand and pinched him right on the fleshy part of his buttocks, eliciting a loud "Owww!" from her bewildered husband who lifted his head to fix an accusing gaze at her.

"What? You pinched me first!" Elena said defensively. "Tit for tat!"

Reluctantly, Damon rolled off his wife and settled in beside her, before gathering her in his arms again, his arms vice-like around her waist. "I wanted to make sure you were really here, that I wasn't dreaming," he admitted.

"Damon," Elena sighed softly with her hand caressing his cheek, "I know that seeing Kat in that place affected us more than we want to admit, but never doubt what happened between us. You know it, you can feel it, deep in here," she placed her palm over his beating heart, feeling his steady rhythm against her hand. "When your mind tells you otherwise, just listen to your heart. What does it tell you?"

Damon lifted his own hand to cover over hers on his chest and was quiet for a moment, as if he really _was_ listening intently to his own heartbeats. "It's telling me that I need a million more midnight sex to prove that you're really he-"

The rest of his sentence was muffled by a pillow attack and a playful screech from his young wife.

* * *

><p><strong>In case you wanted to killthreaten/scold me for that unexpected angst towards the end regarding Damon's dream, just be grateful that it was a nightmare and nothing more because it was the scene that came to me one day, and I was convinced that I wanted to end the story that way…to have Damon realizing that Elena had died in the hospital with the baby. That's me, heart-breaker and angst-whore west of the Falls.**

**After talking to Kristi and Kelsey, they convinced me not to do it or forever feel their wrath, and trust me, those two can be SCARY. So, I relented, only if I can still write it into the story, so it became a nightmare. **

**Come on, guys, the end is SO near! Do this poor girl who spent several sleepless nights to write this story a favor, and REVIEW! **

**If you alerted it and read it, then why not tell me what you thought about it. It's not that difficult and it's definitely not rocket science. I really wanna know what you think. I value your readership and your feedback. Besides, I reply to reviews! I kick ass at it (or so I'm told)! Hope to hear from you soon-ish! **

**Thanks for reading. **

**My twitter: cgsa_cher **


	43. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer: I royally suck at writing Happy Ever Afters. It's so counter-intuitive for me. I hope you'll all forgive me one day.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 43: Ever After<strong>

After spending a week at La Casa de Salvatore working hard, the gang was decorating the Christmas tree, along with dressing up the windows, hanging up stockings around the fireplace, and basically planning for the sleepover so that they could all wake up on Christmas day together. It was the day before Christmas and everyone was in a (cue cheesy holiday music) 'holly jolly' sort of mood.

Everything was ready and prepared, from the feast supervised by amateur chef: Elijah Smith, to the eggnog mixed by one overzealous Alaric Saltzman who kept on pouring brandy and rum into the mixture as if his life depended on it – one could _never_ add enough alcohol to eggnog; it was impossible…so eventually he ended up pouring half of the bottles into the concoction making it very,_ very_ potent.

On the surface, the house was filled with laughter, love and twinkling lights, but underneath all that merriment, there was _one_ woman whose nerves had been shot to hell just hours before.

_* * * Several hours ago * * *_

Elena had been feeling under the weather for the past couple of weeks, with waves of vertigo hitting her whenever she stood up too quickly, so she quietly snuck out to pay a visit to a random doctor at a nearby clinic, giving Damon the excuse that she had to pick up some last minute ingredients for Elijah.

So Elena went to the clinic and after being referred to her personal doctor, she then got herself checked out. Forty five minutes later, she walked out of the doctor's office in a total daze, her face ashen with anxiousness. She couldn't believe her ears. The news wasn't what she expected, but then again…who was prepared to hear something like this? Especially after all the drama she and Damon had just gone through, were they prepared...no, were they solid enough to face this? They had _just_ reunited two months before and were headed for a somewhat peaceful life together, and now _this_.…this _bomb_ the size of Tsar drops, all but blowing Elena out of the water.

She could just imagine Damon's reaction to her shocking news; he would have insisted that she had the best medical attention at the best hospitals, and probably even try to coerce her into taking various tests until her health improved. He'd hover so much, she'd probably go insane, but Damon was Damon and he'd be by her side through it all. He wouldn't leave her, of that she was positive…

Elena sank down onto an uncomfortable vinyl seat in the clinic's waiting area and buried her head in her hands as she freaked the hell out, her mind racing with various scenarios and outcomes for what she was about to go through; well, not only her, but her husband also. Her dearest Damon, the most loving husband ever, was about to have the rug pulled from under him.

Not knowing what else to do, Elena decided to call the one person who would know what to do at such a time; she had a very important decision to make. And she sure as hell was not ready to leave Damon alone, not when they had fought tooth and nail for their love. It was incredibly unfair to have it all taken away now if it ended how she expected it to.

With trembling hands, Elena lifted her mobile phone and scrolled down her phonebook and then pressed 'dial' when she found the number she'd been looking for. She took a deep breath and waited for the other line to be picked up.

"Hi, it's me," Elena said shakily when she heard the familiar voice. "I-I need your help. Can you please meet me at your office now?...Perfect, and oh, please don't tell anyone, _especially_ Damon," she begged before exhaling her breath with relief when the other party agreed. "Here we go," she whispered to herself, standing on unsteady legs from the seat and heading out of the clinic.

_* * * Presently, at La Casa de Salvatore * * *_

Hearing Elena shuffling around, presumably helping Elijah for dinner, Damon walked into the nearly empty kitchen. Elijah was missing but there was the woman who had the power to knock the breath out of him with a simple smile.

"Hey babe, you okay?" Damon asked as he walked into the empty kitchen, for the exception of his wife, checking up on her for the umpteenth time ever since she came home from her last minute 'shopping trip' earlier that afternoon. When Elena nodded mutely, he didn't believe her. "Are you _sure_? You've been quiet since you got back...empty-handed, I might add." She hadn't brought anything home, he realized belatedly. "...Eggnog?" he offered with a worried smile, his clear blue eyes scrutinizing her features, noting the preoccupied look in her brown ones. She looked distracted, and it unnerved him.

Elena shook her head with a small smile from her slumped position on the kitchen barstool, declining the drink, much to Damon's surprise. She was fiddling with her fingers absently. Her face fell and it prompted Damon to act.

"Denying eggnog? And looking like someone stole Lord Snuggleton from you?" her anxious husband enquired as he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, squeezing her closer to his body. Cupping her cheek before lifting his hand to feel her forehead, he attempted casualness with his next question. "I think you're hiding something from me," he smirked. "Fess up."

Elena swallowed, and averted his penetrating gaze while Damon's heart skipped a beat at her silence. "…Okay…why don't we join the others in the dining room? I'm sure they've set the table by now," he suggested, stroking her soft and silky hair that cascaded down her back as he peeked down at her.

Elena shook her head again, mumbling against his chest, "I'm not hungry, Damon."

His concern veered to alarm at her statement and he pulled back to narrow his gaze at her face. "Alright, that's it," he sighed, fed up with her attempts at skirting the issue. He was worried and couldn't take it anymore. Something was wrong. "Elena, please tell me what's wrong right now, or I'm cancelling Christmas!" he threatened seriously.

_That_ managed to get a weary chuckle from his wife, calming his racing heart somewhat when he saw her smile. "God, Damon, say that louder and you'd have eight _very_ disappointed people coming after you with pitchforks and torches!" Elena laughed weakly as she fiddled with the collar of his shirt.

She was contemplating whether or not to withhold her big news from him until _after_ the Christmas holidays, but then decided that he would pretty much spend it worrying over her anyway since she could not pretend to be all jovial and excited when she had these feelings inside her. No, she couldn't do it to him, not when keeping such a huge secret from her own husband felt so wrong. So, she buried her face back into his chest and tightened her arms around his waist and sighed, hating to disrupt his Christmas; their first one as husband and wife.

"Elena," he barked, not in the mood for games as he rubbed her arms up and down.

"Nothing's _wrong_," she insisted, her eyes brightening noticeably. "I just suddenly had a craving for something different than what's being served tonight," she told him, her mind going over the list of dishes prepared meticulously by an apron-wearing Elijah the entire day; scalloped potatoes, honey-glazed ham, creamy molded cranberry salad and apple mousse for dessert. She didn't mean any offence to her reporter-cum-chef friend, but she couldn't bring herself to eat a single bite of any of the dishes on that dining table. None of it was appealing.

Damon released a huge sigh when he thought that it was simply a matter of food that was worrying her, or a lack of appetite for the ones already cooked. "That's easy enough," he sighed. "I'll just run out and get you something else, babe. So, what did you have in mind?"

Elena hesitated for a moment, biting down on her lower lip as she struggled to tell him the news.

_Screw it._

"Ummm, I...well, I might be in the mood for Tony's cheesy macaroni, with extra basil," she informed him, watching her husband closely for his reaction.

"Consider it done, my dear," he happily announced, pressing a swift kiss to her forehead before attempting to move out of her tight embrace. "You should have told me that earlier, you know, so that I could get Tony to deliver it himself instead of you having to wait for your dinner. I mean, the guy hasn't seen you in _months_, Elena, ever since your constant craving to have cheesy food when you were preg-" he broke off suddenly, his entire body stiffening as he came to a sudden realization.

Elena watched him turn his suspicious gaze on her, his eyes widening in disbelief.

_Holy shit. _

"Wait. Is this your way of telling m-me that yo-you're, that w-we're," he stammered anxiously as he pointed his finger back and forth between the two of them, "that we're…expecting?" Damon whispered out the last word as if it wasn't supposed to be said out loud, not by them and certainly not in _this _house where a family member was bound to storm in at any given moment.

Elena nodded slowly before breaking into one of the most dazzling smiles she'd ever given Damon after seeing the hope spring into his eyes at the news. "Yes, Damon…we're pregnant! We're going to be parents," she declared with a twinkle in her eyes when she realized that the reaction she had expected from him couldn't be farther from what she was witnessing now. His entire face lit up like a little boy seeing Santa for the first time in a shopping mall, his eyes crinkling at the edges from grinning so widely. "I'm happy you're not freaking out," she said, the heaviness she felt since she found out earlier had completely lifted from her shoulders.

"Why would I freak out? I'm ecstatic! This is the best Christmas present ever!" Damon laughed out loud, lifting her by the armpits from the barstool, and twirled her around the kitchen in his excitement. They hugged each other close as they allowed the joyful occasion to sweep over them, swaying from side to side.

And then another thought occurred to him. "B-but…._how_?" he sputtered in amazement. His mind spun as he thought back to their conversation onboard the cruise ship; the part where his wife announced heartbreakingly about how she was unable to conceive again. He didn't think that they would be having this conversation so soon, not when he had slowly resigned himself to the thought of never being a father to his own flesh and blood. But now….

"Jeez, Damon, I can't believe Mama Rosa didn't sit you down and talk this through with you already," Elena laughed and sat the confused man down on the stool she recently vacated. "Okay, I'll try to explain this as simply as I can, and please don't hesitate to ask me any questions you might still have after," she smiled sweetly at him and watched him mentally prepare himself for what appeared to be a big speech.

"When two people are married and love each other so much, sometimes they sleep on a big bed together, or the staircase, or a dining table, or a couch, or against the wall or on the floor…sometimes, even in public places. And then, when the husband kisses his wife while they're sleeping, he is actually planting a seed deep into the stomach of his wife, and that's where babies come fr-"

With a loud snort, Damon snatched his adorable wife up into his arms, his heart exploding with joy. "Smart aleck!" he laughed as he buried his face in her hair, breathing in her intoxicating scent. "I can't believe you were about to give me the lecture about the birds and the bees, although you might have left out a few crucial parts in that horribly inaccurate description on how babies are made. Have you forgotten? Shall I attempt a step-by-step show-and-tell right _here_, right _now_?" he said teasingly and extracting a giggle from the brunette.

"Hmm…_tempting_, but I doubt the rest of our family would want a live sex show on the night before Christmas, and right before dinner, too. Maybe on New Year's eve?" Elena suggested with a relieved sigh, feeling better about her decision to break the news to him right then.

Damon nodded with a happy smile and then sobered. He was incredibly excited about the thought of welcoming a little baby of their own within the next year, but there was still a nagging feeling about the whole pregnancy at the back of his mind. "Seriously though," he breathed, his face falling slightly. "How is this going to affect your health, Elena? I mean, this is practically a miracle because we didn't think that it was possible, not after what happened the last time. Are you even sure? It _could_ be a false positive," he said, assuming that his wife took a pregnancy test.

"I'm sure, Kol confirmed it this morning," Elena told him with a firm nod of her head. "He took a blood and urine sample and got them tested on the spot. It's true, I'm pregnant and we're having a little baby Salvatore."

Damon stared at his wife, unable to help a feeling of resentment that he wasn't the first to know about the pregnancy. "Hang on a second. Kol knew _before_ me?"

Elena's eyes softened at his indignant expression for not being told first, but it was inevitable. She had to know for sure that there wasn't any danger of losing the baby for the second time in a row, and also to find out what happened to make the pregnancy even possible. "Well, to be fair, he was the _third_ person to know…I saw a GP at a clinic this morning first, just because I wasn't feeling well," she said and then hastily held up one hand when Damon opened his mouth, most likely to reprimand her for not informing him about her health status.

She knew that he would have dropped everything to accompany her to the clinic, and maybe call the country's most experienced doctor just to get her checked out for what _might_ have been common stomach flu. _Her husband had the most amazing ability to overreact when it came to her wellbeing_, she noted lovingly.

"It might not have been anything at all; I was just getting it checked out for my own piece of mind," she attempted to reassure him, but knowing how futile her efforts were. "Besides, we have a houseful of guests in our house, so who am _I_ to disrupt Christmas Eve?" she pointed out.

"Who are y-? You're my _wife_! _Of course_ you come before those lovable idiots out there!" Damon exclaimed, his finger pointing towards the dining room, not even caring if the others could hear him.

Sure enough, Ric poked his head through the kitchen door soon after, his brows lifted as he asked, "Did you say something, Damon?"

"No, Ric, just give me a moment with Elena, please," Damon called out and with a puzzled frown, the sandy-haired man disappeared again. Turning his attention back to his wife he raised his hands and cupped her cheeks, gazing deeply into her warm brown eyes. "Elena, at least tell me that you're not risking your own health for this baby, because as much as I want to have kids with you, I wouldn't want to lose _you_."

Hearing the genuine concern in his voice, Elena turned her head and pressed her lips onto his palm, ironically turning him to putty in _her_ hands. At this point, the world could be ending in a matter of minutes, and Damon would still be willing to go out to get her some ice cream, provided she came along with him, of course!

"You _won't_ lose me, Damon. In fact, that was _my_ first thought when I found out that I was pregnant this morning, so I went to Kol's office and had a thorough check-up. He said that whatever I did to get back in shape obviously worked wonders to strengthen my muscles, and I've also been taking care of my diet and apparently not as stressed out, so he guessed that it was nature's way of telling me that I'm ready to be a mother," she said softly, with wonder in her eyes, clearly reflected by her husband's own eyes as he gazed down at her.

Damon wanted so badly to believe her, he did, but after the experience the last time, he certainly didn't want to take anything for granted, especially when it came to Elena's health. "So you're not in _any_ danger? What about during the delivery? I mean, you lost a lot of blood last time, what if it happens again?"

"Well, we didn't know what to expect the last time, did we? Kol said that he'll keep a closer eye on me throughout this pregnancy and do more tests just to make sure that everything's as it should be. Damon, there are risks in _every_ pregnancy, so there's really no point worrying about something that may _never_ happen. But you _are_ happy about this, aren't you?" she asked as she stroked his cheeks lovingly, realizing how badly she wanted to give Damon the family he deserved, no matter what the cost was.

Her husband stared down at her incredulously, wondering what he'd ever done to deserve this woman who made him happier than he'd ever felt before. "Oh my God, Elena, you have _no_ idea what this means to me, really. You just - you keep blowing me away with how strong a person you are, and how brave. I'm _beyond_ happy; I'm on cloud nine at the moment. Are we telling everyone or do you want to wait?"

"Well, Kol told me that I'm only six weeks along and it's better to wait until the first trimester is over, but I don't think I can keep this a secret for so long, not from _these_ lovable idiots."

"So, we're telling? _Now_?" he asked, barely able to contain his excitement to announce to the whole world that he was about to be a father.

"Not exactly," Elena grinned playfully, arousing her husband's curiosity as he watched her walk over to a drawer to extract some writing materials from it.

* * *

><p>* * * An hour later * * *<p>

The Christmas Eve dinner was a cozy affair, filled with merriment and astonishingly good food, courtesy of one very talented and handsome reporter who was watching proudly as the dishes disappear with much gusto. There were all dressed in ugly Christmas themed sweaters, with tacky images of a big-bellied Santa, reindeers that looked more like donkeys, a lopsided Christmas tree and the ever-popular snowman with a creepy smile sewn on its white face.

As the evening was winding down, Elena and Damon shared a look from their positions at the head of the table, prompting Elena to pull out eight enveloped cards from her pocket.

"Guys, I just wanted to say how wonderful it is to spend Christmas with you all, and more importantly, thanks for being here and putting up with all our dramas over the past few months. So, to kick off the gift-exchange in the spirit of Christmas, we have something for you," she announced with a triumphant smile and proceeded to distribute the cards out individually to the curious people seated around the table.

Caroline's excited expression sobered quickly when she saw what was in her envelope. "A freaking card?! No offense but I've heard of crappy Christmas gifts before but I thought that they were myths created by Santa to scare children into behaving, but _this_…is this your idea of a practical joke? I'm hoping you have back-up presents hidden somewhere because I can't return _this_!"

"Read it, Care!" Damon rolled his eyes at the affronted blonde as he lounged back in his seat while holding onto Elena's hand, waiting for the group's light bulb to go off when they finally figured out what the cards meant.

Jenna peered at her own card, reading out, "Great-aunt. Yes, I'm a _fantastic_ aunt, but I thought we all already established that." She looked confused as she gazed at her grinning niece.

"Mine says 'Great-uncle' so I guess we're a pair," Ric told his wife, slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

Elijah glanced at his card with a frown on his forehead, as if he was deciphering a cryptic message and then turned his attention to the grinning couple on the other end of the table. "I'm the 'Godfather', as in _Al Pacino_?" he asked with a puzzled look on his face, eliciting a gasp from Caroline.

"Wait, my card says 'Godmother'….ewww, is this some kind of kinky role-play?" the usually bubbly blonde asked with a horrified look at the reporter. In the midst of all the confusion, nobody noticed Kol's struggle to keep a straight face as he set his own card down on the table which read 'OB/GYN/Damon's first victim for being in the loop before _him'_ in very small letters.

Bonnie was the next to speak up since she had her hand up in the air for some time after checking her own card and then Jeremy's. "Jer and I got 'aunt' and 'uncle' on our car-" her statement was quickly interrupted by her very defensive boyfriend.

"I got the 'uncle'!" Jeremy burst out, flipping his card over to show the amused people around the table. "I mean, n-not the 'aunt' card, just so you all know. _Just_ the 'uncle'."

Stefan appeared to be contemplative as he studied his own one-worded card, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at his brother's smug expression. "Mine says 'uncle' too," he started saying slowly as if he was putting the pieces together. "So, Jer and I are uncles, Care's godmother, Elijah's a godfather and I don't think you guys meant the head of a mob gang," his summary of the labels were now attracting the attention of everyone else, especially Damon who simply sat there in his chair with his arms crossed and an eyebrow quirked as he waited for his little brother to get to the truth.

"Bonnie's an aunt, Jenna and Ric-" Stefan continued on leisurely, his frown deepening as his mind processed the relationship between the labels until Damon couldn't bear another second of it.

"Get there faster!" Damon snapped, shaking his head at his brother's cluelessness, fidgeting in his seat from the urge to spill the beans himself. Mentally, he cursed his giggling wife for coming up with this cruel and unusual way to announce to the rest about their extremely happy news when he was just bursting at the seams to just blurt out the words himself.

"…._That's it_!" Stefan announced suddenly as his face brightened, causing seven other people to lean in excitedly to hear his conclusion. "You guys are adopting a dog!" he declared triumphantly even as Damon and Elena's shoulders slumped down in defeat at his inaccurate conclusion. The raven-haired man never realized that his brother's light bulb was so dim.

"Seriously, how are _we_ even related?" Damon commented in disbelief. "That's it; you're not allowed to come within ten feet of my, sorry…_our_ baby," he smirked after flashing an apologetic look at his wife. As soon as he mentioned the word 'baby', everyone released a shocked gasp and then a flurry of '_What?'s_ followed almost immediately.

"You're adopting a _baby_?" Jeremy yelled out in shock amidst various mutterings around him. "When? Is he or she here already?" the youngest Gilbert looked around him and under the table, apparently searching for a little tiny human he thought he had missed in the house.

A flabbergasted Damon turned to his wife and asked helplessly, "What do you think, babe? Disown our brothers and adopt new ones, especially invisible ones like the alleged baby under the dining table?" He appeared to be completely serious except for a little lift at the edge of his lips.

"I concur," Elena quipped, nodding her head with a grave expression on her face and then they both burst out laughing.

Suddenly, Jenna shot out of her chair and leaned over to grasp her niece's arms, pulling her up to her feet. "Are you telling us that you've got a bun in the oven?" she asked excitedly, her voice going up a few octaves higher as she regarded the grinning brunette.

"Ughh, I can't possibly eat another bite," Caroline groaned, patting her belly for emphasis, earning her another eye-roll and an exasperated sigh from Damon.

"Oh my God, I swear you guys will be the death of me!" he grumbled and then stood up next to his wife, temporarily ignoring Jenna as he pulled her to his side, wrapping an arm around her waist with one hand, and then placing the other hand on her belly. "Elena and I are expecting a child sometime next year, and yes, it's _my_ sperm, _her_ egg and we did it the old fashioned way; by inserting a certain part of my body into hers, then friction, friction, friction….then _more_ friction, and then bam! Or if you'd like Elena's version better, I kissed her in bed and planted a seed in her belly. Either way, we're going to be proud parents and you will _all_ play the roles that were written on those cards you're holding. Now, am I being clear enough?"

A moment of silence took over the gang, and then pandemonium struck. Happy tears were coursing down the cheeks of the girls and then as a group, they crowded around the parents-to-be and enveloped them into a tight group hug, sharing the joy of the miracle of life.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Seven months later)<strong>_

Holding her hand, Damon tried to reign in his panic. "Are you _sure_ about this, Elena? Have we made the right choice?" Damon asked nervously, his blue eyes cloudy with concern as he stared down at her. He was terrified, if he was being honest, but also incredibly proud of his young wife who had chosen to deliver their first child naturally instead of the relatively painless c-section.

Elena nodded her head wearily as she gasped for breath in her momentary reprieve; her hair was sticking to her scalp from the excessive amount of sweat she had shed after the last contraction. "No regrets, Damon. I want to feel _everything_, every single stab of pain, contraction, and even the actual birth. This wasn't an experience I thought I'd have, _ever_, and since I didn't have a chance to feel it with baby Elizabeth, I want to feel it with _this_ one," she told him, feeling his fingers tighten around hers as he smiled down at her comfortingly. "My only hope is for the baby to arrive soon, because I'm getting tired," she sighed, relaxing into the pillow while Damon fed her some ice chips to keep her hydrated.

"You're doing really great, babe," he said as he pressed a kiss on her forehead, brushing some stray hairs off her face as he did. "I'm still hoping that you'd change your mind about the epidural. I mean, seeing you go through pain willingly is so counter-intuitive for me," his own eyes were filled with pain at the thought of her suffering through contractions after contractions, feeling helpless at his inability to help in any way other than just being there for her in the form of moral support.

Elena smiled at his worried expression and closed her eyes, taking advantage of the limited time when she was able to rest in between contractions. "I don't like being in pain either, but even Kol agreed that epidurals aren't good for the baby," she murmured sleepily and then the next moment changed everything when she lurched up on the bed and started gasping again. "Oh god, here we go again...!"

The harassed father-to-be hastily set aside the cup of ice chips and supported her lower back as her body tightened in painful spasms, her face screwed up from the sensations racking over her. "Just breathe through it, babe, just breathe like how we did in Lamaze class," he encouraged her softly, murmuring comforting words in her ear as he rubbed her back.

Just then, Kol Michaels strode in through the doors, already decked out in his blue scrubs, complete with a mask and rubber gloves, flashing his perfect teeth at the stressed out couple. "Hey, guys! What have you been up to?" he asked cheekily, earning him a glare from the cranky husband of his patient.

"Oh, nothing much. Just having a baby is all," Elena answered sarcastically, flashing her obstetrician a smirk that could rival one of her husband's. "We're thinking of grabbing a cheeseburger after this," she told him, eliciting a chuckle from the good-natured doctor.

"Oh good, can Elijah and I join you? I'll need a break after this; delivering a baby can be pretty tiring," Kol teased as he got into position in front of the expectant mother, leaning down to check on her progress.

Damon shook his head in disbelief as he stared at the doctor. "Try giving birth to one; it's not exactly a walk in the park, you know? Oh wait, you _don't_ know, do you? I keep forgetting, you didn't _actually_ answer my question about the role that you and Elijah play in your relationship, did you?" he narrowed his eyes on the now-blushing doctor who seemed particularly preoccupied with sticking his gloved fingers into his wife's cervix. Mentally, Damon thanked the powers-that-be for having a homosexual OB/GYN; otherwise, _those_ fingers would be a couple of inches shorter than they were right now.

"So, Kol, now that we know each other much better, please _do_ tell Elena and I about who wears the pants in your relationship," he implored, eager to lighten the mood because he knew what was coming _really_ soon with the young doctor's presence here.

Kol glanced up at Damon and met his worried eyes, realizing that while his tone had been teasing, the concerned man's gaze were constantly on his wife who had just recovered from her most recent contraction. "We are equal partners, in _every_ way. Elijah sends his love, along with the others," he told them in an off-hand manner as he glanced down at the foot of the bed. "Now Damon, I suggest you get ready and concentrate on helping Elena get through this, because she's going to need you now more than ever," he said in a serious tone, all traces of amusement vanished from his face. "Elena, your cervix is fully dilated, and you know what that means, don't you?"

The exhausted brunette nodded weakly and even managed a weak smile, making Damon's chest swell with pride at the sight of her strength, even when she could have opted for another alternative to natural birth. "Let's get this party started," she breathed out and then she sat up to get ready for the oncoming contraction she could already feel was coming.

"I love you, Elena, and I'm so proud of you right now," Damon whispered in his wife's ear and then braced himself for her tight grip on his fingers as the onslaught of pain came again, wincing at the level of noise she was making. "Kol, if anything goes wrong-" he began to warn the doctor, but Kol already anticipated his most important fear.

"I can handle it, Damon. She'll be fine…and the baby, too. Trust me," Kol assured him.

And Damon did.

* * *

><p>It was a hauntingly familiar scene in the waiting room; just a different room, but the same people with the same anxious expressions. Seven close-knit people who had been in similar positions before and Rosalyn, the anxious grandmother-to be; their third time within the time frame of little more than a year. They were all waiting restlessly for news on the newest addition of their quirky little family, eager for something positive to come out of this hospital experience for once.<p>

The girls were huddled together with their arms around each other on the floor, while the guys alternated between pacing the floor and standing stock-still near the doorway, listening intently for any sign of activity. The only calm person in the room was Rosalyn, who was sitting so still that one might think that she was dozing off, except for the movement of her lips that suggested that she was deep in prayer for the health and safe arrival of her first grandchild. They've been in the waiting room for the last five hours, from the time Elena's water broke at home and an anxious journey to the hospital in two separate cars, later joined by Damon's mother.

It was Elijah's turn to pace now, which was a strange sight for the usually serene man that nothing seemed to be able to faze; until now. "I'm going to be a godfather….to a baby. I'm going to be a godfather," he kept muttering under his breath like a broken record, his hands wringing from the anticipation.

"I wonder if it's a boy or a girl this time," Stefan wondered from the doorway, his eyes trained on the double-doors Kol disappeared through over an hour ago. "Maybe Elena didn't want to know the sex in case it's a boy and Damon wanted to paint the nursery black, like last time."

Caroline jumped up from her position on the floor and skipped over to join her boyfriend. "It doesn't matter as long as mother and baby are healthy and safe. Whatever it is, _that_ baby is going to be the most loved baby in the world, surrounded by so many people to love him or her. That tiny little munchkin is going to rock that little unisex leather jacket I got at GUESS," she announced haughtily, already in love with Little Salvatore even though she hadn't met him or her yet.

Suddenly, she felt Stefan stiffen next to her and turning around, she realized the reason why.

Damon was walking towards them as if he was in a daze, his dark hair disheveled, his eyes wet with tears, whether of joy or sadness, nobody could tell for now. At the sound of his approaching footsteps, the rest of the gang got to their feet and crowded around the frozen couple at the doorway, their gaze anxious with worry as they scrutinized his demeanor as he approached them.

His expression gave nothing away and the gang saw him swallow when he was finally close enough to be within reach of their arms. There was total silence in that waiting room for a few seconds, and then they collectively held their breaths as his lips parted.

"Little Salvatore has a pee-pee," Damon announced quietly, as if he was unable to believe it himself despite witnessing the actual birth of his own son. "I am a father to a baby boy," he whispered in wonder, _this_ time managing a small smile. With that declaration, the gang exploded into loud cheers of congratulatory speeches, their arms pulling the proud father into their midst and then he found himself a recipient of eight bone-crushing hugs.

The last hug was from his mother, who had tears streaming from her eyes as she gazed up at him with pride, filled with so much happiness for the couple who had a bumpy start to their marriage. The grandmother was heartbroken when her first grand-daughter died and was even more sad when she was on the verge of losing her daughter-in-law during their brief separation. But this time, everything happened as it should have, a perfect new journey for the family.

"You're a Grandmama now," Damon whispered with a lopsided smile at his mother, who promptly burst into tears of happiness yet again.

At 11:11 AM on a perfect summer day on twenty-eighth of July, Christian Aaron Salvatore was born to two parents, and a bunch of extended family members who were already enamored with him.

* * *

><p>The presence of baby Cas - as the gang liked to call him due to his initials – in La Casa de Salvatore meant that there was never a dull moment again, not that there ever were before. It also meant that the house was never empty, with various people constantly dropping by to visit, some even never seemed to leave. The next three months following Cas's birth flew by in a blur especially for the busy parents.<p>

Elena was a full-time mom and wife, preferring to spend her days at home with her miracle baby, watching the little man grow on a daily basis. Damon divided his time between his family and his own company that he built from scratch, busy with numerous projects that he secured following the fall of the Lockwood empire after Mason's arrest.

His father's company, Salvatore Corporation also hadn't been able to sustain with the absence of the Executive Director, even though Damon made a fortune after selling his shares at the peak of the company's success. A judge had ordered all the clients that were stolen by Lockwood to return to the original winner of their tenders, awarding the company with hundreds of million dollars of revenue. Nicholas Mikaelson wasn't able to cope with the ongoing projects by himself, so he sub-contracted some out to Damon's company.

As much as he would have enjoyed working at the office and seeing his profits go up on a monthly basis, Damon had sworn to himself not to focus on his career like his father did, so he hired Tyler Lockwood, whom Caroline had insisted could be trusted, and also enlisting Ric as his partner in the business. Then, he worked from home, giving him ample time and opportunity to be a hands-on father to his adorable baby boy and an even more hands-on husband who couldn't seem to get enough of his wife.

It was probably why he decided to bring Elena on a second honeymoon trip after the third month of Cas's birth, leaving his company in the capable hands of his best friend, and his precious son to Jenna and the others for a week.

"I can't! I can't do it," Elena cried for the third time in the same day, this one just a few hours before they were supposed to depart for the airport. And for the third time, Damon shook his head and attempted to pry her fingers from Cas's pillow that was covered with his distinctive baby smell all over it.

"Elena, we have to go get ready! The plane's leaving in four hours and you're not even packed properly yet," he chastised gently, knowing full well how hard it was to leave his little boy at home without them. But then again, that was exactly what he and his wife needed; a week away with just the two of them, no distractions, no waking up in the middle of the night at the sound of a baby crying, and most of all, no friends or family who walked in and out of their home as if they owned the place. But most of all, they just needed some much-deprived sleep.

His wife, still gazing down on the sleeping infant on his cot gripped the pillow against her chest and rocked it as if she was rocking her son to sleep. She bit down on her lower lip nervously at the thought of being separated with him for an entire week.

"Damon, I can't leave him for so long. I mean, I haven't been apart from him for more than fifteen minutes at a time since we came back from the hospital. What if he missed us? What if the guys don't know how to handle him? What if he cries?" she whispered, unable to help herself from reaching out to caress Cas's dark patch of hair, not unlike his father's. In fact, he was the spitting image of Damon; the same gorgeous eyes in that startling shade of blue, the slightly curled raven-dark locks and oddly, enough, the same lopsided smile whenever he gurgled with laughter.

Seeing the complete adoration in his wife's expression as she gazed down at their sleeping little boy, Damon sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, leaning over her shoulder to peer into the cot. His heart did a little bounce that he would get every time he feast his eyes on his son, so precious and adorable that he couldn't believe that he and Elena actually produced that little carbon copy of himself.

"I'll miss him too, babe, but Jenna and the guys know what they're doing, and besides, Care _won't_ be here because I sent her on a week-long errand for the office. Come on, Cas will be fine, he's a pretty well-mannered baby, all things considered. I promise you, Elena. If he needs us, we'll be on the next flight back from Japan without any arguments from me," Damon promised as he pressed his lips against her temple, but realized his mistake when Elena whirled around in his arms to stare up at him in shock.

"_Japan_? We're going to Japan? Really?" she whispered elatedly, trying to contain her excitement so as not to wake the baby. When her husband gave her a sheepish smile and nodded, she threw her arms around him and jumped up and down in his arms, earning her a chuckle from the dark-haired man.

"I thought that'd make you happy," Damon said in response as he half-carried, half-dragged his wife towards their bedroom across the hall so that she could express her enthusiasm properly. "Elena, if you want to see Hachi's statue, then I suggest you start packing before we miss our flight. Now, I'm taking the baby monitor and going downstairs to talk to the guys while you stay up here and pack, okay? And you are hereby barred from going into the nursery until just before we leave in less than two hours to say goodbye, you hear me?" he asked in a stern voice, flashing her the 'I-mean-business' look.

"I promise," she reluctantly nodded with a little pout.

He narrowed his darkening eyes on her suspiciously before he warned her again, "Unless you want me to drape you across my knees and spank you like the naughty girl you are aga-"

"I said I promise!" she exclaimed hastily, turning red at the memory of the time they role-played as kinky professor and the tardy student; it was a great night indeed.

Damon chuckled at her blush and pulled her in for a quick kiss before turning her around and pushing her towards their walk-in wardrobe. Then he went to check on Cas, only to find him wide awake in his cot, his wide blue eyes sweeping across the room curiously until his father's face came into view. Cas started gurgling with laughter and kicked his little chubby legs enthusiastically.

"Hey, little man. Why are you awake? Did mommy wake you up with her jumping earlier?" Damon cooed as he smiled down at his son. Cas opened his mouth wide and let out a loud 'Ohh' sound as if in answer to his question. "Yup, we need to spank mommy again, don't we? Oh yes we do, yes we do!" Damon reached out and tickled his round belly, drawing little giggles from his kicking son.

"Hey, what say you we test mommy's ability to keep her promise, huh? We're going to go downstairs and have a chat with your uncles, grand-uncle and godfather while we see how long it'll take for mommy to find out you're missing, deal?" Cas let out a loud sigh and then raised one hand towards Damon, who solemnly reached out his own to clasped the small palm in his in a gesture of handshake and then proceeded to lift the active baby into his arms.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the four men who were lounging on the sofas in the living room quickly got to their feet and soon, baby Cas was hijacked from Damon's arms. "Hey!" he started to object but the men ignored him as Elijah carried the baby over to one of the sofas, laying him down as they surrounded him.

"Wow, you're getting heavier, Cas! Have you been overindulging on milk again?" Elijah asked while making funny faces and blowing raspberries on his round tummy, making the baby giggle with his mouth wide open. All five men laughed, making their hearts melt when they saw his toothless grin. Ric started playing peek-a-boo with a pillow while Stefan and Jeremy made monkey faces and stuck their tongues out, eliciting another high-pitched laugh from him.

Damon watched the scene of four grown men falling over themselves to play with his son, and knew that he wouldn't trust his little boy with any other group of people other than them. That was why he sent his blonde god-sister away, because as much as she loved Cas, she wasn't as efficient at taking care of him like the others. It was the _only_ thing she wasn't good at; she could handle organizing big functions at a moment's notice, she even pulled off spying on Tyler Lockwood at his request, but put her in a room with a small child and she was rendered useless.

Caroline would fall asleep while the baby was wide awake, playing with his own thumb as he laid quietly next to her, or she would forget to feed him or checked his diapers. There were numerous occasions when Damon came home to find Cas pushing his chubby fingers into her gaping mouth.

"Hey, why isn't Rosalyn taking care of this little monster while you're gone?" Ric asked, his laughing eyes still on the giggling baby.

With an amused grin, Damon met Stefan's eyes and they both shook their heads at what he was about to divulge. "Mama Rosa's on vacation. She went to Bora Bora with her new boyfriend to swim with the sharks," he said by way of explanation, drawing shocked gazes from Jeremy, Elijah and a gaping Ric. _Oh yes, Rosalyn was enjoying life to the maximum without her sulky ex-husband._

"Damon, where's Cas?" Elena's panicked yell came from upstairs and then she came running down the stairs at top speed before he could respond. "He's not upst-" she broke off when she caught sight of her son on the sofa surrounded by the men. "There you are!" she exclaimed in relief, making her way over to the baby, his legs kicking even more ferociously when she came into view. Elena and Cas had a great bond; she was the only one who could calm him down when he was in one of his really fussy moods, which thankfully, didn't happen often.

"Elena, you promised!" Damon whined, knowing how overprotective his wife could get and that he didn't really expect her to keep her promise to leave her son alone. "Someone's getting spanked," he announced in a sing-song voice, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Oh shush, I'm his mother and I had a right to check on my own son if I wanted to. Besides, you didn't tell me that he's awake," she accused with a mock-glower at her husband. "Anyway, I was looking for the breast pump, have you seen it?"

For a second, a sheepish look came across Damon's features before he shrugged and said, "Try looking on the bedside table, babe. I think I might have left it there." He deliberately avoided her gaze as he focused intently on his son.

"What were you doing with the pump? You haven't been playing with it _again_, have you?" her voice was teasing as she refused to let her husband off the hook this time. The last time she accidently caught him with it, he was trying to figure out the contraption, a confused frown on his face, but noticing her presence in the room, he had quickly hidden it behind his back and gave her one of his dazzling smiles.

"I might have tried to use it on myself to see anything would happen," he admitted this time, ignoring the chuckles from the men he trusted with his own life, and that of his son's. If they took pleasure from his discomfort at his conversation with his wife one more time, he had a good mind to revoke their statuses as baby protectors in his house.

Elena struggled to keep a straight face and asked, "Well, what happened?"

"Other than pulling out a few stray hairs around the...ummm…nipple area, it kinda sucked, no pun intended," Damon smiled hesitatingly, and then instantly regretted his admission when four men burst out laughing accompanied by a shrill sound of giggles from his own son. _Traitors, the lot of them. _

Taking pity on him, Elena leaned over and pecked him on his red cheek and then gave him a comforting pat on his head before heading upstairs to locate the missing and misused breast pump.

"Hey, can you get me one of those gigantic Toblerone chocolates at the airport when you get back?" Jeremy asked suddenly, his young face brightening up at the thought of free chocolates.

His brother-in-law shook his head and rolled his eyes at the similarities between Elena and the youngest Gilbert, their love for all-things-cocoa being one of them. "Your sister is two steps ahead of you, dude. We're travelling light so that she can stock up on chocolates at the airport. So, your order is duly noted."

"Sweet!" approved the teenager, giving Damon a fist-bump as a thank you. "Hey, quick question. If Elena ate a lot of chocolates, do you think she'd produce chocolate milk for little Cas?" he asked as an afterthought.

"Stop it, Jer, your sister is _not_ a vending machine," Damon informed him but then he grinned broadly and continued on, "but it's a _great_ idea so I'll get her to try it anyway."

The guys went on to keep Cas occupied while the couple got their things ready for departure until Jenna arrived at the house. She was dropping them off at the airport and then coming back to the house to supervise the guys while they were staying over the entire week to babysit Cas.

"Come _on_, Elena, we gotta go," Jenna called out as she waited at the bottom of the stairs. Not long after, Elena came downstairs with some newly extracted milk to store in the freezer, with Damon trailing closely behind her with their luggage.

"I don't wanna go," Elena whined for the fourth time when she returned from the kitchen to scoop her son up in her arms, burying her nose in his hair to breathe in his special baby scent that made her want to squeeze him tightly and never let go. "Damon, why don't you go with Jeremy and I'll stay here with Cas?" she suggested with a hopeful expression on her face.

Her brother snorted with disgust and quickly said, "Eww, I'm not honeymooning with your husband! I'd sooner give up chocolates and that's asking a lot."

"For the last time, Cas will be fine without us. He'll do a little male bonding with the guys and then he'll grow up to be all butch and manly like…." Damon paused as his eyes surveyed the group; from Ric who was winking at him, to Stefan who was blowing bubbles with his lips at the baby, to Jeremy who was temporarily distracted with the Angry Bird game on his phone, and finally to Elijah, who was still wearing a pink apron from before when he was baking cookies in their oven. "…like Barney, the purple dinosaur," he finished, unable to find _anyone_ among his new family that would fit the description of butch and manly, which he suddenly found to be rather disturbing.

He walked over to his wife and promptly extracted Cas from her arms, cuddling the wriggling baby into the crook of his own arms as he pushed Elena out the front door to join Jenna in the car. "Elena, give Cas a big kiss goodbye and wait for me outside. I'm gonna have a little man-to-man talk with him to make sure he behaves himself while we're not around," he instructed and then to his surprise, his reluctant wife obeyed, pressing kisses all over Cas' chubby cheeks, chin, forehead, temple and everywhere she could reach before she bid farewell to the guys and followed Jenna out to the car.

Sighing with relief, Damon turned to his wide-eyed son who was staring at the door, probably wondering where his mother went, and set him on his lap as he took a seat on a sofa. "Now, little man, you are now the head of the house, okay? You have to be a good little boy and behave yourself with these clowns and make sure that _they_ behave themselves around you too, all right? No spiking your milk with my bourbon or have _any_ of your lady friends over, you hear me? Also, bedtime is at nine p.m. and _that_ is non-negotiable, got it?" he asked the fidgeting baby in front of him and then pressed a long wet kiss on Cas' forehead. "Just remember that your mommy and I love you very much, okay?"

Now that it was time to leave his son behind, Damon found himself second-guessing his decision to go on this second honeymoon with Elena, thinking that leaving behind a three-month old baby was probably not the smartest idea. But then again, he knew that Elena needed a break and they both _definitely_ could use some sexy time alone. So, with a huge sigh, he stood up and hugged his son one last time and then with a wave goodbye at the remaining four guys, he strode out the door and never looked back.

After a couple of minutes of silence, the guys resumed what they were doing before Damon had carried Cas downstairs after a brief naptime, until the front door opened again, revealing a shamefaced Damon still holding a bewildered looking Cas in his arms. "Umm, I forgot to leave the baby," he announced softly before passing the subdued infant to the outstretched arms of Elijah.

"Yeah, we kind of figured that out on our own," Ric told him with an eye-roll. "Damon, just go," he said, waving his best friend away with a firm nod. With a heavy heart, the raven-haired man flashed one last longing look at his son and turned away, heading back out the door. He hadn't even been gone for five minutes when all four men suddenly snapped to attention.

"Eww, what's that smell? Smells like a garbage truck just drove by," Jeremy commented, his nose screwing up with disgust.

Stefan lifted his nose in the air and sniffed harder, intending to find the source of the foul smell, until Elijah yelled out all of a sudden, "Found that garbage truck!"

Three pairs of eyes snapped to him, finding the apron-clad man staring down at the wide-eyed kicking infant, oblivious to the stench emitting from his own diapers.

"Umm, I have to go to the library…to study and all," Jeremy muttered quickly, his flimsy excuse ruined when he headed out without his backpack.

Ric hurried after him, calling out as he reached the porch, "Gilbert! You're the closest to Cas's age! At least you remembered what it felt like being in diapers! We need your help!" His plea fell on deaf ears though, so he walked back inside with a dejected sigh.

"I say we tackle this as a team and do it upstairs so that we can contain the smell," Elijah suggested in his usual calm manner. He carried the baby with outstretched arms, as if he was holding a football an arm's length away from his body and proceeded up the stairs with the remaining two men right behind him.

"Great idea, Elijah. You get diaper duties, I'll be in-charge of disposal and Stef will powder the ass," Ric said as he began to collect the needed items from the cabinets to place them on the changing table.

Elijah placed baby Cas on the table and then turned to Ric defensively. "But why do _I_ get diaper duties when you guys get the easy job?" He inquired as he struggled to keep the wriggling baby still on the cushioned surface.

"Because you are dating an obstetrician and happened to be gay, so among the three of us, who do you think is the most maternal?" Ric asked with a pointed look on his face, lifting a brow as he watched the reporter mull over his facts.

With a sigh, Elijah gave in and resigned himself to be the diaper manager for the rest of the week. "Fair point well made, I guess. Pass me the damn diaper….and a helmet if you have one," he muttered.

Stefan whirled around in surprise as he reached for a fresh diaper, cracking his head to think of where to search for Elijah's odd request. "Helmet? What for?"

"To avoid rogue pee," was all Elijah said in a completely serious tone.

Ric nodded his approval, finding nothing wrong with the explanation. "Listen to the man, Stef. He's basically a professional!" he proclaimed, and then they left the nursery in search of the item, leaving Elijah alone with the smiling baby.

"Come on, Cas, we both know that you won't spray pee on me because you're a gentleman, right? Between you and me, I'm just getting rid of them because they're going to be pretty much useless, aren't they? So, we're going to do this alone and I promise that it'd be fast and painless if you promise to make sure that I stay dry, deal?" he asked his godson and got a hiccup in return.

Elijah managed his first diaper change with no problems whatsoever.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(One week later) <strong>_

"….27…28….29…30!" Stefan withdrew his palms from his eyes and looked down, disappointed to find his nephew wriggling on the play mat in front of him. "See, I don't think you _fully_ understand the concept of hide and seek. Let's go over the rules again; I count to thirty, you hide and I'll come and find you, capiche?"

Ric let out a weary chuckle from his sleeping position on the same mat beside his great-nephew, removing an eye mask from his forehead to peek out at an exhausted Stefan who was trying to keep the baby preoccupied. Cas had been crying non-stop since that morning, driving everyone in the house insane and racking their brains for ways to distract him from his loud wails. It was as if he knew that his parents were coming home today and decided to wear his cranky-pants.

Elijah snored loudly from his position on the other side of the baby, attracting Cas's curious gaze on his sleeping form for a moment, stopping his own wailing to focus on the strange sound coming from Elijah's mouth.

That was the scene that Damon and Elena came home to when they walked through the door with their luggage and shopping bags. "Hey, how is my adorable little man?" Damon called out loudly, jolting Elijah awake with the baby's pacifier in his mouth, and then upon realizing it, he quickly spit it out and looked up at the only two fresh-faced people in the room.

"I'm exhausted."

"I'm sleepy."

"I'm at the end of my rope."

The answers came simultaneously from the three men around the baby, and then without another word, they all stood up and stretched before they each walked over to the amused couple; Ric handing over baby Cas to Elena, Elijah cleaning the pacifier with his shirt and then shoving the thing into Damon's opened mouth, and finally, Stefan throwing a handful of rattles, G-boy the red-haired bear, and a pillow into his brother's arms and then they trooped out of the house one-by-one, too tired to even greet them.

Amazingly, Cas stopped crying as soon as Elena carried him, merely studying her face with his teary eyes as if he'd been wondering where she'd disappeared to for so long. She bent her head to kiss her son as she met Damon's puzzled eyes, probably wondering why the guys seemed so unenthusiastic to see him.

"I don't mean to sound jealous, but you're practically kissing Elijah with that pacifier in your mouth," Elena commented and laughed at his expression when he hastily spit it out.

"Sorry, I'm just happy to be home," Damon apologized as he dropped the items he'd been holding and reached out to wrap his arms around his son and Elena, vowing never to leave any of his family member behind again. Then, he started mentally calculating about the cost of flight tickets for ten adults and one child if he'd ever planned for a holiday with his 'family' in the future. _Eh, it might be more cost-effective if he owned a damn plane_, he thought and pressed his lips on Cas' cheek, making him squirm with excitement in Elena's arms.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(Not so distant future)<strong>_

A young brunette, probably in her early twenties, was standing in the middle of aisle five in World of Babies in search of a present for her niece. It was a massive baby store, filled with various baby-related paraphernalia. The young lady, while shopping, came across a very attractive couple with a little toddler, roughly around the age of three, tugging a bear with astonishingly red hair behind him as he skipped along the aisle. Obviously, the toddler was the son of the raven-haired man; so clear were the similarities between them.

What drew her gaze was the very vision the small family provided, no doubt the couple was strikingly beautiful, but it was more of the way the handsome man held his pregnant wife, also a brunette like her. It seemed as if he worshipped his wife, with the way he wrapped a protective arm around her waist, now swollen with their second child, and also the look of total adoration they shared between them as they stole kisses when they thought nobody was looking.

"Cas, don't drop G-boy, alright buddy?" the man called out to his son, laughing softly when the toddler hurriedly cuddled the bear close to his chest as he turned his wide blue eyes on his father.

"Yeah, okay," Cas agreed and then ran back to tug his father's hand, dragging him towards the end of the aisle excitedly. "Come quick, I found it!" the little boy exclaimed with a broad smile.

The young lady watched, fascinated as the pregnant brunette grinned and hurried along with her son who was apparently anxious to show his parents what he found, a new toy for himself, most likely. "What did you find? Is it for Great-Aunt Jenna's baby, or Auntie Caroline's?" the elder brunette asked.

"Both," Cas said confidently, pointing to a bear with shockingly pink hair. "G-girl!" he declared, earning him a chuckle from his father.

"Cas, remember what I told you about the color pink?" the man reminded with a mock-frown.

Cas copied his expression to a tee and thought for a while, his own expression crumpled into a frown and then declared, "Yes, pink is not a color. Big boys like me don't like pink!" Then, he contemplated again, and then proceeded to implore, "Babies are girls so they can like pink! Please, papa, I wanna buy something pretty for girl babies."

His mother laughed and reached out to ruffle his thick wavy hair and then turned to her husband who appeared to be very disgruntled with his son's choice of colors. "Damon, he's absolutely right. Your niece and cousin _are_ girls and they love pink, so why don't you let Cas choose the presents this time, huh?"

"Fine, but you _both_ owe me kisses for this one," Damon warned good-naturedly before his son squealed with happiness and pulled his father down in a squat so that he could cover his face with kisses, earning him loud chuckles and yells for help from the grown man. His wife merely stood by and shook her head at the boys in her life, her eyes filled with joy as she watched them attempt to tickle each other on the floor.

Then, somewhat breathlessly, the man, Damon, scooped his giggling son up in one arm and stood up, then pulling his glowing wife close with his other arm, whispering something into her ear. Grinning broadly, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips, and then made to lift her head but was held firmly by the man, whose lips lingered on hers, smiling when his young son squeezed his eyes shut at the public display of affection. "No kissy face in public, papa!" he scolded, and then he nodded approvingly when his parents parted.

The young lady couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face as she watched the family, feeling somewhat envious of their relationships and couldn't help but to want that future for herself. Just then, the pregnant brunette looked up and met her eyes, and then she smiled knowingly, as if she knew what the younger lady was thinking. In that instant when their eyes connected, she knew that true happiness was possible, even real.

What happened on aisle five was proof of that.

* * *

><p><strong>Now isn't that the most nauseating chapter ever? Don't you half wish that I killed Elena off that last chapter? *lifts brows*<strong>

**Okay, I wanted to thank each and every one of you who have alerted/favorite/reviewed this story and also stuck with it for 43 chapters. Through this journey, I've discovered amazing online friends who know _exactly_ what I'm going through when writing fiction and also the love I feel for these TVD characters. None of my real-life friends or family members can understand this. **

**For this chapter, I would like to thank Kate, my beta, again for this one last chapter. **

**I have my next DE story in mind, TWO actually, but I haven't decided yet which one to write first. They are both AH/AU, one more angsty than the other. The angsty one is set in 1860s while the other one is more humorous set in modern times. Let me know if you have any preference and author-alert me if you wish to receive a notification when I write that story.**

**Since this is the last chapter, I implore you to lift your fingers and type your last review for me if have enjoyed this story at all. If it meant anything to you at all, just let me know so that I know that the hours and hard work I put in was worth it! It's just a friendly reminder *said with a large frown as a warning*. **

**This is a personal shout-out to everyone whom I have connected with over the course of the story: Kate, Kristi, Kelsey, Kim, Carol, Rachael, Angela, Kayla, Emily, Sana, Megan, Layla, Chloe, Taylor, Noha, Veronika, Ver, Alexia, Allison, Jen, Vivian, Molly, Georgia, Pandy, Yara, Maddie, Maria, Sophia-Emm, RRR222 and so many others that I don't know the names of, only your nicks on FFnet that are too long to mention. But since you guys receive my personal replies to your reviews everytime, so you know that I love and appreciate every single one of you even though I may not express it enough. **

**My twitter: cgsa_cher **


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